Midnight Madness ON HIATUS
by shadowglove
Summary: When Draco becomes a dhampir Hermione discovers that she's his mate, and Blaise was only trying to help them---really, he was. None of the three of them could have realized how their destinies were intertwined. dramoinaise.ginnyremus.harryluna.ronpansy
1. Midnight Madness

**Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter.**

_A/N: I'm actually trying somewhat fogged about the first chapter of my next Dramoine story, but I didn't want to leave my readers or reviewers in another Dramoine Famine, so since the Vamp Draco did good on the polls (and I sorta had half of its written already) I decided to finish up the chapter, use it as a oneshot, so that my readers could have a taste of Dramoine while I'm still working on the other one. Hope you all like it! This COULD have been the fic I'd have been working on if it'd won!_

**WARNING: SOME SLIGHT SMUT AHEAD. DON'T LIKE? DON'T READ!**

* * *

Something was wrong with Draco Malfoy.

Frowning, Hermione's gaze raised towards the Slytherin table and her frown grew as she saw that once more he watched her. Normally that would be followed by a sneer or some offensive remark, but lately she'd just found him _staring_. And that in itself was even more disturbing than his insults.

"So, Mione, you up for tonight?" Ron wanted to know, speaking with his mouth full once more.

"Um, ya." Neither Harry nor Ron realized that she wasn't paying attention to them. Instead she was in a heated staring contest with Malfoy, yet instead of narrowing his eyes at her for the disrespectful expression she was giving him, his lips formed a blood-curdling smile.

_Smile_?

Malfoy _knew_ _how_ to _smile?_ Since _when_?

More disturbed than ever, she broke eye contact and drank some pumpkin juice. Something was wrong…well…_wronger_…with Malfoy.

_Wronger isn't a word._

Yet she didn't care.

Which just proved _how_ disturbed she was.

"Are you feeling well, Mione?" Harry asked, placing his hand around her shoulder.

She shook away her doubts and smiled up at him. While they weren't dating their relationship was fast moving from friends to—well—to something _more_. She only hoped that it'd be a better success then the two-week disastrous relationship she'd had with Ron.

"Yeah." She smiled up at him, allowing herself to get lost in those beautiful emerald eyes. "How can anything be wrong with the great Harry Potter here to protect me?" She asked saucily.

Usually Harry resented it whenever anyone idolized him, but Hermione watched his face break out in joy…and a little embarrassment, yet a good kind.

He kept his arm around her when he turned to answer whatever it was that Ron had muttered between the food in his mouth.

Giving him another longing look, Hermione sighed, an amused expression on her face before she turned to look at Malfoy once more. His eyes were narrowed.

He looked pissed.

_Thank Merlin! He's back to normal!_

Thus she decided to ignore him now that that was solved.

Still, something nagged her. Ever since Malfoy had been attacked in the Forbidden Forest he'd been _odd_. No one knew _what_ attacked him, how he'd escaped, or why he'd been there in the first place, but the fact that Dumbledore made it a fact to keep it secret from even _Harry_ meant that something horrible had happened.

Hermione remembered the days Malfoy had spent in the Infirmary. It'd been nigh two weeks before he returned to classes, and from the moment he walked into Transfiguration Hermione had sensed him, sensed the change.

_What change? He's the same git as before_.

Well, he was _now_. That was the comfort of knowing that he was fine.

_Not that I care_.

Over-hearing Lavender mentioning something to Pavarti, Hermione's eyes widened.

How could she have forgotten!

She needed to go and look up that potion in the library for tomorrow!

_How could I have been so neglectful?_

Getting up she turned to Harry. "I have some studying to do."

"I'll come help you afterwards." He promised.

"Sure. Take your time." Because when Harry was around, they hardly _studied_.

Leaving the Great Hall, Hermione chastised herself for being able to forget homework. She was so distracted that she didn't notice silver eyes following her every movement. She didn't know that, moments later, he left the table.

* * *

Sitting by herself in the Library, Hermione sighed. Even the librarian was gone. Go figure. The woman had a life outside the library.

Hermione scolded herself for such Malfoy-ish thoughts.

With a sigh she continued reading on the _Protego_ potion, which was supposed to protect the drinker from any fatal hex sent his or her way. Snape probably was using this to prove to Dumbledore that he would be the best choice for the DADA teacher next year.

_Sneaky old snake_.

She frowned. Snape would probably consider that a compliment.

"You shouldn't frown," a voice muttered in the darkness behind her. "You look too cute and I might not be able to stop myself."

Twirling around in her seat when she felt his breath tickling her ear, Hermione gave a cry of fright when she found Draco Malfoy leaning on the back of her chair—face too close to hers for comfort.

"_Malfoy_!" She cried, hands going to her pocket only to flinch when she remembered that Ginny had asked to borrow her wand since hers had started to give her problems.

Hermione watched his lazy smirk, and she cleared her throat, leaning backwards, gaze stealing to the shadows around her. Had he come in numbers or had he actually been brave enough to face her on his own?

_Well it doesn't matter anyhow. You still don't have your wand_.

"What do you want?" She asked, getting up slowly, making sure never to give him her back.

"Are you really willing to hear it?" He sneered, walking towards her, backing her up against a bookshelf.

"What the bloody hell are you going on about?" She snapped, but from fear, not from anger. Her eyes widened in both horror and surprise when he raised his hand and pushed her hair behind her shoulder, his fingers trailing down the curve of her neck slowly. "_Malfoy_!" She nearly screamed in terror.

When he'd tried to frighten her, to insult her, she'd laughed in his face, unshaken. Yet with this one small gesture he'd managed to do the unthinkable, he'd terrified her.

"Your pulse is beating erratically." He commented as if he spoke of the weather. "All your blood has risen to your face. You're blushing."

"Hogwash!" She denied, yet didn't manage to quite the whimper of both fear and something else as he pinned her against the bookshelf, bringing his face to the curve of her neck, his breath on her tender skin causing the hair on her body to shiver.

"Why do you smell so _good_?" He growled, obviously very angered at this discovery.

She gulped, not sure _how_ to react to this situation. On one hand she wanted to punch him, but in his odd state she didn't know how to react. And worst, she didn't even have her wand with her.

The feeling of his tongue on her rapidly beating pulse brought her out of her thoughts with a jolt.

"_Malfoy_!" She screamed, loudly this time, and placed her hands on his chest to push him away. Yet, while she'd oftentimes proven to be superior in strength than him, this time his chest seemed like steel, and no matter how much she pushed, he didn't budge, didn't even seem to register that she was trying to push him off.

He was sucking on the pulse in her neck, his tongue drawing patterns on her wet skin.

"Malfoy _please_!" She whimpered, feeling utterly helpless.

He pulled away only far enough for him to be able to look deep into her dark eyes, his silver orbs darkened into a molten color like liquefied metal. His gaze was entrancing, and Hermione felt herself relaxing against her explicit orders, against her own common sense.

"How do you taste?" He seemed to be speaking to himself as he lowered his face to hers, grasping her bottom lip between his blunt teeth, nibbling on it experimentally before letting out a tortured groan and releasing his hold on her lip before crashing his fiercely over hers, taking her over, consuming her.

Hermione's eyes were wide in surprise and horror as Draco's body pushed hers further against the bookshelf, his hands burying themselves into her wild curls, his mouth working wonders against her own.

"Heaven…" He whispered between kisses as one hand gripped her hair tightly and the other began to slowly untangle itself from her curls to move down the side of her face, down the curve of her neck, down to cup her breast over the material of her gown. "_Hell_…"

"_Malfoy_!" The feeling of his hand on her breast, cupping her, rubbing the pad of his thumb over the hardened nipple, brought her out of her trance and somehow Hermione found the strength to push him off of her.

He was surprised, and shocked, probably just as much as she was, Hermione could see that in his eyes as they began to clear until they were that nearly colorless Malfoy silver.

They looked at each other, both wide-eyed, shocked, and panting each breath. Both unable to believe what'd just happened, and Hermione had to admit, both visibly shaken at the surprising _need_ their contact had caused to form.

"Don't you _ever_ touch me like that again, do you hear me?" Her voice was shaky and she hated herself for it as she hurried to get her bag and throw her books inside of it. "You're obviously drunk or drugged or on some sort of potion, so I'll let it go _this time_."

She flung her bag over her shoulder and began to back away from him, frightened to give him her back when he was watching her hungrily, eyes beginning to darken to molten metal once more. "But you touch me again and I'll hex off your family jewels!"

When he took a step towards her, Hermione turned and ran out of the library. She didn't know where she was going or what she was going to do when she got there, but Hermione kept running, until she realized that her feet had taken her to the Prefects' Private Bathrooms.

_Good, somehow despite how fuddled up my brain is I managed to think_. Hermione congratulated herself as she said the password and entered, letting her bag fall to the ground and beginning to undo her buttons. If she arrived at the Gryffindor Commons like this Harry and Ron would immediately sniff out that something was wrong and in her muddled mental state she wouldn't be able to think of a good excuse.

And she would _not_ be the cause of another 'war' between Gryffindor and Slytherin!

What she needed was a nice, relaxing soak before she could face her best friends. She needed time to get the encounter out of her mind, to stop thinking about how surprisingly _good_ it'd felt to be that close to Malfoy, and convince herself that she _wasn't_ disappointed that he'd let her go that easily.

With that in mind, Hermione's clothes dropped to the floor and she entered the pool-like bathtub, sighing in happiness at the warmth of the water.

* * *

Draco Malfoy was confused.

Sitting on the chair Hermione had been using before he hadn't been able to control himself any longer and had 'attacked' her, the blonde frowned at the wooden table as if it were _it's_ fault that all of this had happened.

It'd been _his_ fault that he'd been out in the Forbidden Forest so late into the night. If he hadn't told Snape that he wanted to help him against Voldemort he wouldn't have been out there looking for an ingredient in a potion the Potions Master was using for the Order, and if he hadn't been there he wouldn't have been attacked by _that creature_.

Making up his face in disgust, Draco groaned as he remembered being unable to think of a curse or a hex in time to stop the vampire from attacking and feeding from him, and if it hadn't been for Professor Snape he'd have been killed—not that anyone would have mourned his death, that was for certain.

But the deed had been done, and Draco was trying to get control over his vampiric tendencies.

It wasn't fair. He hadn't been sired, hadn't tasted the vampire's blood, and yet he was a dhampir now. Apparently the veela blood he had in his ancestry had acted up and had given him the vampiric attributes of strength, speed, night-vision, and ability to smell _everything_.

It'd also given him the thirst for _blood_, although he hadn't felt that thirst in the hospital wing. He hadn't even felt it the night he'd been allowed to return to the Slytherin Commons. _No_, but he'd damn well felt it during their first class with _Gryffindork!_

Not only had his throat suddenly gone dry, but Draco's sense of smell had been assaulted by the scent of scrolls and ink mixed with something else, and it'd been _delicious_. He'd followed that scent and hadn't known whether to laugh at the irony or curse when the aroma of heaven led him to none other than the bookworm.

_She_ was the one whose scent was driving him crazy, _she_ was the one whose blood called out invitingly to him.

He'd been watching her for a while, and knew that she'd known and it was bothering her, but he hadn't cared. He'd needed to know _why_ he was reacting this way to her, _why_ he could feel her presence, could sense her, _why_ he gave a _shit_ that it would seem Potter and her were finally getting together.

So he'd followed her out and things had gotten _way out of hand_. It was like a creature had taken over his body and attacked her, sucking on the taunting pulse in her neck, tasting the delicious taste of her skin, basking in the heavenly and hellish flavors of her mouth, melting away at how her breast fit perfectly in his hand--at how her nipples hardened under his touch.

And then she'd pushed him away and ran like the devil was on her trail.

And considering _what_ he was, Draco guessed that wasn't too far from the truth.

What'd happened had been _wrong_.

He was _Draco Malfoy_, heir to the Malfoy fortune.

She was _Bookworm Granger,_ a mudblood and best friend of both Potty and Weasel.

And yet his blood boiled to have her, his body protested not being on top of hers, _inside_ of hers, and his fangs begged for a sip of her blood.

_Dammit_!

Banging his fist against the table, Draco stood up.

He was _DRACO MALFOY_, and he did _not_ deprive himself of something he wanted. And for some fucked up reason he wanted _Granger_, and by Merlin he was going to get her out of his system!

Taking in a whiff of her scent, he smirked as he followed her hellish trail out of the library. If she thought that she was free of him she had another thing coming to her.

* * *

Draco paused as he watched Hermione sleeping peacefully in the large pool-like bathtub. When he'd come stalking into the Prefect's Bathroom he'd had everything coldly calculated, but upon stumbling upon her sleeping peacefully, submerged to her neck in water, well, it'd thrown him off a bit.

It was probably the first time he'd seen the Bookworm without a frown of anger, irritation or concentration on her face. The wrinkles disappeared immediately, and her face was smooth ivory.

She looked _beautiful_.

Gulping, Draco looked back towards the door and then at her sleeping form, not sure whether he should leave or stay or _what_? And he was also somewhat pissed at himself for reacting this way to her. _Sure_, she was gorgeous, and naked, but she was _sleeping_ and she was a _mudblood_--he _shouldn't_ be reacting this way to her!

He was arguing angrily with himself so hard that he hadn't realized what he was doing until the last of his clothes were lying on the floor and he'd entered the eternally warm water, ignoring the figure of mermaid watching him with curiosity and interest.

Freezing when he realized the position he'd just put himself in, Draco looked once more longingly at the door. All he had to do was get out, hurriedly put on his clothes and get the hell out of there and Granger would never know. No one would realize that they'd been naked, _together_.

Why was that idea so unappealing?

Taking in a deep breath, Draco nodded, mind made up.

He wanted to taste her again.

Waddling through the water, he knelt down in front of her sleeping, sitting position. Silver orbs roamed over her peaceful face as he cupped her jaw with the hand in which he wore the ring with the Malfoy insignia. Her skin was soft to the touch, tempting, and before he could think things over he'd leaned forwards and he'd pressed his lips to hers, groaning loudly as once more that taunting electricity and warmth filled him as it had the moment he'd first nibbled on her bottom lip.

He was drowning, and he didn't ever want to come up for air again.

* * *

She had to be dreaming.

That was the only conclusion Hermione could come up with as she opened her eyes to find Draco Malfoy a close blur as he leaned into her, kissing her hungrily, both naked and in the Prefect's Bathtub.

Guilt for dreaming of him like this was outweighed by her curiosity. Some little morbid part of her had wondered what it would be like to make out with the 'Slytherin Sex God', and even if it was a dream, she wanted to experiment and see if he was everything the rumors said he was.

That was probably why she gave into the dream and groaned in pleasure as his arms encircled her and pulled her tightly against his wet, naked chest, her nipples rock-hard and painful as she buried her hands in his silky hair and he took the kiss deeper.

"_Granger_…" He groaned into her mouth as one hand let go of her to hold her lower and move her so that she was straddling him in the water.

Shivering at the passion in his voice, Hermione pressed down against his erection, smirking into his mouth as he groaned and bucked up towards her almost instinctively.

She had _Draco Malfoy_ rock hard--and even if this was only a dream, it did a _helluva_ job for her ego.

Her smugness disappeared with a cry as he grabbed hold of her hips to keep them in place and began to thrust up against her, not trying to penetrate her yet, yet brushing his cock against the entrance, causing shocks of desire to race up and down her spine.

Hermione arched her back, eyes closed, head thrown back. She gave a little squeal in surprise when Draco quickly stood and lifted her with him out of the tub as if she weighed nothing, laying her on a map on the ground.

Before the Gryffindor could figure out what was happening she screamed and arched on the floor as she felt him lapping at her wet, glistening sex. "_Malfoy_!"

He chuckled against her, the vibrations sending her crazy and she gripped his hair, trying to anchor herself somehow to reality as his tongue penetrated her, curving as he pulled out, hitting her somewhere within that made her feel like fainting from shock and pleasure.

Malfoy spread her legs wider to be able to have easier access to her as he teased and tortured her sex, nibbling softly on her folds, lapping at her juices, sucking on her clit.

This was heaven and hell, and Hermione was going crazy as she groaned and moaned his name over and over again as if it were a chant and her only means of survival. She knew that the strength in which she griped his hair must be painful, but if the smug chuckles he kept letting out had anything to say about it, he didn't mind in the least bit.

Suddenly, as he unexpectedly thrusted in two of his fingers and curled them up, she came with a scream. Hermione closed her eyes and bit down hard on her mouth yet couldn't keep her scream silent, the pleasure was stronger than she knew she could experience.

In fact, the pleasure was so strong and overpowering that she didn't feel a pair of fangs slipping momentarily into the innermost part of her thigh, sipping a taste of her blood before retreating.

Malfoy chuckled smugly, obviously pleased with himself as he tasted her juices on his fingers, silver orbs finding and refusing to let her gaze free as he slid the glistening fingers into his mouth. "_Hell_…"

And he made that sound like a _good_ thing.

His silver orbs, darkened to molten metal, were on her lips as he lowered himself slightly on top of her, fingers finding her womanhood and diving inside of the hot channel made slippery by the show of her pleasure as he captured her painfully erect nipple in his mouth.

Arching once more, Hermione whimpered as he continued to play her body like a fine-tuned instrument, tasting, touching, marking each and every inch of her as if she was his and he was making sure she knew this. He must have bitten her breast slightly by accident because she'd felt a prick of pain, yet the pleasure had covered up any discomfort.

By the time he'd finally covered her body with his, peppering her neck with kisses, throbbing erection pressing against her entrance, she was begging for him to fill her, pleading with him to enter her.

"_Dammit Granger_!" And it was obviously driving him crazy.

In a move that surprised her, Draco sunk his teeth into her neck as he slid quickly and deeply within her, breaking her maidenhood and making her a woman. The pain from the intrusion was a small price to pay for the pleasure as he began to move in and out of her urgently, teeth still on her neck, yet instead of bothering or at least _freaking her out_ she didn't mind it.

For some reason this obvious show of dominance excited her further, and as Hermione met each of his thrusts, as she caressed his naked back, she turned her head slightly, offering him a better access to her throat, and he whimpered against her skin at the act of submission.

When she was beginning to feel dizzy he let go of her and began lapping at her neck, and although she was curious as to that action she liked it, and truthfully didn't have much time to contemplate it as she once more came, yet stronger this time, and she screamed in painful pleasure when he cursed and mashed his mouth to hers, and with a couple of strong thrusts was joining her in that mind-fogging pleasure, both crying into the other's mouths.

Their hands caressed each others naked bodies as they slowly came down from their shared climax, and Hermione smiled at Draco softly before closing her eyes and, head still clouded from her strong climax, she fainted.

* * *

"Hermione!"

Jumping, Hermione groaned when the muscles in her body pained, protesting her sudden movement. She wiped at her eyes and looked up into Harry and Ron's smiling faces.

Confused as to _what_ they were doing there and _why_ they were smiling, she quickly looked around her and realized that she was in the library, and apparently had fallen asleep there.

_So it __**was**__ only a dream._

Why was she so disappointed?

"Geez 'Mione." Ron announced as he plopped down on the seat next to hers. "It's not healthy for you to be studying so much you fall asleep in the library!"

Harry sat down on her other side. "When you didn't come to the Commons we got worried."

She smiled guiltily at him, feeling horrible for having dreamt such a thing about_ Draco Malfoy_ of all people. "Sorry guys." Getting up she gave a cry when her knees gave out on her, and she would have fallen if Harry hadn't used his Seeker reflexes to stand up and catch her.

"You okay, Hermione?" Harry's green eyes were filled with worry as he held her to him.

"Y-yeah." She smiled shakily, wondering why the muscles in her thighs were hurting her. "I—my muscles must be asleep."

Harry grinned down at her, obviously relieved. "Well, that only proves that you should be in bed." Swinging her into his arms, Harry smiled down into her face before turning to Ron. "Get her bag. Let's take the princess to her castle."

Hermione made a face at him, he _knew_ she hated being called 'princess', and yet, she couldn't help but grin up at him at the same time. "Idiot."

Harry chuckled as they made their way out of the library.

"Bloody hell Mione," Ron complained as he shouldered her bag and hurried after them. "What do you _have_ in this bag?"

"Must you _always_ complain, Ronald?" Hermione asked as she rolled her eyes, beginning yet another good-natured argument between her and her redheaded friend.

They were so intent on the argument they never noticed the shadows shifting, betraying the presence of a blonde in black and green.

* * *

**Hey everyone! I hope you liked it and give me a little review. It was my first Vampire!Draco story, so, yeah. Tell me what you think.**


	2. Disturbing Discoveries

**Disclaimer: Don't own anything.**

_A/N: Due to the high amount of reviews asking, pleading (demanding!) a sequel, followup, companion piece or more chapters to explain a couple of things or just because they just really like the chapter and would fry me alive if I leave them like that, well, I've decided to be a coward (the whole frying alive thing kinda freaked me out! Laughs) and actually write some more to this story (specially since Raia STILL isn't giving me any idas for the other fic as yet). So enjoy this chapter, because, yeah, it's for you._

* * *

Hermione could feel his gaze on her from across the room, yet she ignored him, well, she didn't exactly _ignore_ him, but she refused to look in his direction and made him _think_ she was ignoring him. But he was seriously muddling up her concentration and _Ron_ was even beginning to notice! He'd had to point out to her that she'd written the same paragraph _three times_, and even _Snape_ looked at her in concern when he asked a simple question and she didn't even raise her hand.

So, when _Snape_ began to worry about her, Hermione knew that she was really badly off.

Once again she felt _his_ gaze on her as it'd been since that night of midnight madness. For her credit, she'd thought it'd been a dream, and Malfoy's dressing and taking her unconscious body to the library afterwards had been a sneaky and cunning way of throwing her off, but he'd forgotten one important detail.

He'd forgotten to Glamour away the lovebites he'd left all over her body.

Closing her eyes tightly with a groan, Hermione remembered screaming after bathing the next morning and seeing the condition her body was in, realizing the _real_ reason behind why her muscles were sore.

She'd had sex with _Draco Malfoy_.  
she'd lost her virginity to him.

And she'd damn well enjoyed it as well.

Which made it oh-so-much worse!

She couldn't say she'd been raped! She'd willingly had sex with him, kissed, him, held him close--_hell_, she'd _begged_ him to fuck her. He'd made it _more than enjoyable_, and the fact that he'd had_ her_ pleasure in mind had been one of the things to convince her that it was only a dream because_ why_ would _Draco Malfoy_ care whether the 'ugly mudblood' enjoyed him within her?

"Mione?" Harry whispered to her right. "Are you okay? You look ill."

Opening her brown orbs, Hermione smiled weakly at her best friend and could-be boyfriend. They'd been getting so close, _so close_ to a relationship and now _this_ had had to happen and ruin _everything_! She _couldn't_ tell Harry and Ron what'd happened because they wouldn't listen to reason, decide that _somehow_ Malfoy had coerced her into it, and would kill him.

And Hermione couldn't _let_ them kill Malfoy.

And she _also_ couldn't be with Harry while keeping such a big secret from him, she was too loyal and cared too much for him to do that, so she was stuck trying to curve her natural attraction to her best friend and trying to figure out how to send out the message 'I'm _completely_ interested but unable to do anything about it' without making him suspicious.

Which, after a lot of thought and calculations on her part, was impossible.

"Miss Granger," Snape droned to her side and she winced, realizing that this wasn't the first time he'd spoken to her. "Are you _so_ advanced that you don't _need_ to pay attention in my class?"

She flinched visibly as the Slytherins found this a hoot and began laughing. "No, sir, I'm sorry."

Snape watched her silently before turning around and turning on Neville Longbottom.

Hermione sighed in relief and leaned her forehead against her desk in exhaustion.

The stress of this secret was _killing_ her.

_Damn_ Malfoy!

Feeling a hand on her shoulder, Hermione sat back up and turned to look at Harry, who was looking at her with the same worried expression he'd been giving her ever since _the happening_. He didn't know _what'd _happened, but after years of cultivating his sixth sense to keep alive he could sense that something had happened, that she was keeping something from it, and while it obviously hurt him, it seemed to worry him more.

"Hermione?" He asked, his face closer to hers as he whispered so that Snape couldn't hear. "Do you need me to take you to the Hospital Wing?"

She looked up at his face, oh-so close to hers, and Hermione wished she'd taken the chance and kissed him before this had all begun. Maybe if they'd been in some sort of relationship she wouldn't have given into that 'dream' and she wouldn't be in this mess right now.

No, she'd be snogging Harry Potter.

She groaned, not noticing his face closer to hers than before.

"_Mione_?"

_If Potter doesn't bloody get his hands off of her I'll_…!

Hermione jumped, eyes wide.

There it was again!

"Mione? Are you okay?" Harry's hand cupped her jaw and turned her face so that she was looking into his worried face. "What's wrong? What's happening?"

His breath was against her lips.

_That's it, I'll do what the bloody Dark Lord couldn't and I'm going to…!_

Hermione's eyes widened even further as she looked passed Harry towards the Slytherin section of the room, and into angry, silver eyes.

Was she going insane? She'd once told Harry that even for _Wizards_ it wasn't normal when they began hearing voices, and when she started hearing _Draco Malfoy_ in her head every time Harry, Ron, or any one else got a little too close proved that she was criminally insane.

Why the _hell_ did she have a possessive _Malfoy_ in her head?

What had she _done_ to _deserve_ this?

_Screwed him, apparently_, a sarcastic little voice in her head deadpanned.

Hermione groaned and closed her eyes tightly as she leaned her forehead once again against the table. She was going crazy! First she'd had sex with Malfoy and now she was _hearing his voice in her head_?!

"Professor Snape, I think Hermione needs to go to the infirmary." Harry's voice spoke next to her.

"What gave you the _first_ clue, Potter?" Snape asked sarcastically. "Take her, I don't want her infecting the other students if this is a virus."

"Yes sir." Harry stood, and in a move that surprised even Hermione, he reached for her and swung her into his arms.

Squealing at the unexpected change of events, Hermione grabbed onto the front of his robes and held on for dear life as he hurried out of the classroom with her in his arms. A dark blush covered her face as she couldn't help but find his worry for her so _endearing_.

Things like _these_ were why she'd fallen in love with him.

Of course, just to ruin the moment, the little Malfoy in her head was the last thing she heard as Harry carried her out of potions.

_I'm going to enjoy killing him…_

* * *

"You know, you're probably scaring her." Blaise Zabini announced lazily as he leaned against the column, watching Draco watch Granger. When he didn't even get a reaction from his best friend, the handsome black boy rolled his eyes skyward in exasperation. "Dray, get a _grip_ on yourself man! People will begin to notice!"

"What are they talking about?" Draco hissed to himself as he watched Hermione throwing her head back and laughing at whatever Weasel and Potty were telling her with animated hand gestures. "What could they _possibly_ be saying that'd make her laugh like _that_?"

Throwing his hands up in the air, the dark Slytherin took in a deep, calming breath. "Who _knows_? And you know what? I don't _want_ to know the inner workings of the mind of Weasel! I'm just here trying to keep you from looking so pathetically _obvious_ to everyone in Hogwarts! Dray, brother, at least _pretend_ that you're not _stalking_ her!"

_That_ seemed to get through to the blonde and he tore his gaze off of Granger and turned to look at Blaise in irritation. "I am _not_ stalking Granger."

Blaise raised an eyebrow at his best friend, folding his arms over his chest

Malfoy had the decency to blush. "Okay, maybe I've been keeping _tabs_ on her lately…"

"Stalking, Malfoy." Blaise wouldn't be made to be quiet. "The term is _stalking_."

"I'm not _stalking_ her!" Draco insisted stubbornly.

Pulling out his wand, Blaise conjured a dictionary and flipped through the pages before coming to the word he was looking for and, clearing his throat, read out loud. "**Stalking**: the act of following prey stealthily." He closed the dictionary loudly and it disappeared in a poof. "You're doing all of that _except_ the 'stealthily' part."

Malfoy glared at him.

Blaise raised his eyebrow.

Granger squealing caused them both to turn curiously and watch as she rode Potter piggy-back style. Her face was red from laughing so hard, and Weasel's tickling her from behind kept her squealing and jerking erratically as Potter twirled her around, his hands under her thighs and disappearing slightly under her skirt.

Blaise noticed this quickly and turned to look at Draco, going in front of him to keep the seething blonde from rushing out at them and making a fool of himself.

"Get out of my way, Zabini." Malfoy gritted out through clenched teeth, two which were beginning to grow longer.

"Put the fangs away Malfoy!" Blaise hissed, looking around to make sure no one had seen that, or the way Draco's eyes had flashed golden in his anger.

Draco stilled and the fangs retracted as quickly as they'd elongated, and his eyes were once more their cold silver. The blonde took in a deep, calming breath and closed his eyes, leaning back against the column. "What's going _on_ with me, Blaise?" He asked in a soft voice. "Why do I _care_ about Granger, Potty and Weasel? Why do I smell her? Why do I feel her? Why do I want her? Why do I--?"

_Need her_.

Draco didn't have to say the words for Blaise to understand what he meant.

The dark boy sighed and glanced towards Granger as Potter backed her out of the courtyard and back inside of Hogwarts, with Weasel and Weaselette (When he she appeared on scene?) following close behind, laughing at the two brunettes in front.

"I mean, she's a _mudblood_, Zabini, a _mudblood_!" Draco exclaimed as if Blaise didn't already know of that fact. "And I've gotten laid before, but I, never, and, _argh_!"

"Dray, have you ever considered that this might have something to do with your—" he looked around to make sure no one was listening. "_Dhampir_ senses? Do you think that it might have, I don't know, opened up your _other_ senses?"

Draco opened his eyes in curiosity. "What do you mean?"

"Well," this was slightly awkward. "Remember after you got your, ah, new abilities that Dumbledore said that it was because of the regressive Veela genes in your body?"

Draco nodded slowly, following him easily so far. "Yes, my mother was a Veela and my father was half because his mother was a Veela. So I have inactive genes in me as do all male offspring of Veela. So _what_? That's common knowledge to anyone with a Veela mother—like _you_. Our genes are there, but they aren't active because we're male."

"But what if yours _were_ activated?" Blaise pressed.

"Impossible." Draco shrugged that off. "There hasn't been a male Veela since--."

"Mario Zabini." Blaise answered. "One of my ancestors. And _his_ was activated by a near-death encounter with a _Dementor_ that tried to Kiss him."

Draco froze. "Dear Merlin." He turned to Blaise, eyes wide in horror. "Are you saying that you think on top of the dhampir genes I'm coming into my _Veela heritage_?!"

Blaise nodded silently.

"But—but—that's _impossible_!" Draco sputtered, going paler than usual. "That would mean that Granger is--that Granger is--is my--my--."

"Your **Mate,** if you're talking Veela." Blaise supplied the appropriate word. "Your **Bride,** if you're talking Vampiric."

"Oh _bugger_."

* * *

"Do you see how he's hanging onto her when she's _so_ obviously shagging Potter?" Pansy Parkinson asked Millicent Bulstrode as they watched the Golden Trio laughing happily together, accompanied by the Weaslette.

"And is it just _me_ or does the Weaslette just look like she'd spread her legs if Potter gave her the time of day?" Millicent asked, sneering at the four with disgust.

"Completely." Pansy agreed as she watched them pass them, not even noticing the Slytherin girls glaring at them. "Blood traitors and _mudbloods_."

"Whoring blood traitor at that." Millicent agreed. "I heard Dean Thomas telling Seamus Finnegan about the shagging he gets from that little whore."

"Really?" Pansy asked, surprised.

"Yeah." Millicent nodded. "Said she was a nympho-a nym—a…"

"Nymphomaniac?" Pansy supplied the word.

"Yes!" Millicent grinned broadly. "That!" She paused. "What's a nymphomaniac?"

Pansy grinned, rubbing her hands together. "Something I can use." She looked up to see Draco and Blaise arrived and smiled up at them, wanting to share her plan, but the glare in Draco's eyes caused her to pause and look in the direction he was.

She could only see the Golden Trio laughing as Potter had Granger against the wall, tickling her ferociously.

Pansy returned to look at Draco and saw his eyes flicker golden and she gasped in surprise. What was _that_?

Hearing _Granger_ gasp, Pansy looked at the mudblood and frowned when she saw her place her hands to her ears and look up immediately at Draco, who was glaring accusingly at her.

The Gryffindor's brown eyes met Draco's silver ones before she pushed passed Potter and hurried down the hall.

The Slytherin Princess frowned.

What was going on here?

* * *

"Miss Granger, are you saying that you had sex with Mister Malfoy and have, since then, had _his voice in your head_?" Dumbledore looked down in surprise at his star pupil, unable to believe his own ears.

The only candidate for Head Girl squirmed in her seat as she looked down at her hands. She'd come to see him moments ago, looking distressed and with a confused pair of best friends behind her and left outside. "Yes sir, but to be fair, I thought I was dreaming."

Well, that wasn't much of a consolation, was it?

The Headmaster looked at the young woman and frowned. It wouldn't have been much of a deal if she'd just had sex with Draco Malfoy, despite the school policies against such things on school ground Dumbledore would have just twinkled his eyes at her and told her that it was yet another step to Inter-House Unity.

But this was different, _Draco Malfoy_ was different, and this was truly surprising and somewhat disturbing.

"And he _came_?"

She went bright red. "Uhm, ah, uh, _yes_?"

This was disturbing indeed. Vampires, contrary to belief, _couldn't_ have sexual relations. They were _dead_, they felt _nothing_ and had no blood of their own, thus they couldn't get aroused and, uh, _hard_.

Obviously it was a little different in Mister Malfoy's part. He was _dhampir_, and that meant he was alive, but yet he was supposed to start having that lack of desire to live, that loss of emotion that caused the dhampir to hate the vampire and actively seek to exterminate them for robbed their feelings and emotions from them.

So the fact that Draco Malfoy had not _only_ gotten aroused by Hermione Granger, but had had _intercourse_ with her and had _cum_ was mind-bobbling.

That was unprecedented.

That was historic.

That was…was that a bite mark? "Miss Granger, what is that on your neck?"

Her hand immediately went to the barely visible bite marks on the curve of her neck and she grew redder. "You must be able to see passed the Glamour." She whispered. "He, Malfoy, uh, apparently likes to _bite_ during, uh, _intercourse_." She blushed darker, not able to meet the Headmaster's gaze.

"Is that the _only_ bite he gave you?" Something was doing flip-flops in Dumebledore's stomach and it wasn't those lemon drops he'd had before her visit.

"Yes." Her gaze went to her shoes. "M-m-my b-b-breast and my inner t-t-thigh."

DEAR MERLIN!

Realization hit Dumbledore so hard he let out a whoosh of air.

It _couldn't_ be!

"But I d-d-didn't come here to talk about t-t-t-that," the innocent, unsuspecting witch stuttered with embarrassment. "I need to know _why_ I hear his voice in my head. Is this a normal thing when a _witch_ loses her virginity to a _wizard_? Or am I just insane?"

Dumbledore looked down at one of his favorite students and wished he could tell her the truth, wished he could tell her that _no_ it wasn't normal and that _no_ she wasn't insane. She was, in fact, _Malfoy's_, but he didn't think she'd take that too well, would she?

The Headmaster closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. He should have taken a precaution, but how was he supposed to know that the boy's Bride would be in the same school?! Or that he would have a Bride at _all_? The few vampires he'd ever known had scoffed at the legend of the Vampire Bride as being just that, a _legend_.

And wasn't the biting of the inner thigh a _Veela_ claiming tactic to connect her with her intended mate?

And wasn't Mister Malfoy the possessor of a large quantity of Veela genes from both sides of his parents? And _hadn't_ they shown some activation after his attack in the Forbidden Forest?

Dumbledore groaned.

There was no _way_ Miss Granger was going to be able to get rid of Mister Malfoy, _especially_ since they'd already consummated their matehood! She was _Malfoy's_.

But he couldn't tell her _that_.

No, he had to talk to Mister Malfoy first.

"Miss Granger," he began, hating to have to lie to her. "Sometimes when two people of strong magical auras have, uh, intense _coupling_ there is a residual remain of their magical aura."

She looked relieved. "So it should fade away after a while?"

Once again, he hated lying to her but it was something he had to do. "Most probably." He needed to talk to Mister Malfoy immediately!

* * *

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* * *

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**So, hopefully this short story should help jumpstart my dramoine vibes again.**


	3. Intriguing Information

**Disclaimer: I do not own!**

_A/N: Sorry for the slow update, but I just moved from a small bedroom we were renting in a house to an apartment, so the move has been crazy! Hopefully you like this update!_

_**Warning: I've changed Blaise Zabini's looks slightly from cannon.**_

--

* * *

Draco Malfoy couldn't keep the smile off of his face.

"So, you're saying that Granger and I are already mated?" He asked, leaning forwards in the seat of the Headmaster's office, grinning like an idiot. "I don't have to fear about her not letting me mark her and dying a horrendous death?"

Dumbledore nodded.

Draco leaned back in his head, hands behind his head. "_That_ is a relief." He grinned.

Dumbledore wasn't quite as content with this as the student seemed. "Lord Malfoy, I don't think you quite understand the complexity of the situation Miss Granger and yourself find yourselves in."

Draco raised an eyebrow. "I'm a dhampir slash veela and my mate is mudblood Granger and we're already mated so I won't die. She's mine. End of story. Don't see what I _don't_ understand about the whole deal."

Dumbledore took in a deep, calming breath. "Lord _Malfoy_, Miss Granger is your _mate_, your _bride_, and you will never desire another woman or man as long as you live."

Draco paled immediately. "_What_?!"

"But _Miss Granger_, on the other hand, _will_."

The Slytherin grew even _paler_ and sat up straight like a jolt, eyes wide before their narrowed angrily. "What are you talking about, old man? A Veela's mate can't feel love or desire for anyone other than their veela."

"Normally." Sighing, the elder man placed his hand to his face in slight irritation before remembering that Draco _was_ in a horrible situation and deserved his full cooperation and emotional support. "But this isn't a normal situation. You're genes are mixing, changing, and your vampiric genes and veela genes have merged."

"Are you telling me that Brides don't have one _Groom_?" Draco's voice was hoarse.

"What I have to go on are considered legends," Dumbledore warned. "But there have been vampires—such as _Dracula_—who were said to have _three_ Brides, and there are two cases of extremely powerful Brides who had _two_ grooms, or a groom and a _pet_, or a _groom_ and a soulmate. It's a very tricky situation when it comes to the undead."

Draco closed his eyes and leaned back in the seat. "And what would happen, if Granger had another person out there?"

"Then you would have to share."

Draco's eyes flew open and they were golden fury. "I am a _Malfoy_, I share _nothing_! Not even my mudblood!"

"Then you're going to have to change your attitude, Lord Malfoy, if you want to woo _your mudblood_, as you so put it." Honestly, Dumbledore could only take _so much_ during _one day_. "You're going to have to stop calling her names, treat her right, and make her _want_ to be yours. You never know if she might have another in this school—or even somewhere in the magical or muggle world—and when he or she finds Miss Granger and treats her better, she _will_ leave you. And _you_ will never be able to live happily without her by your side."

"This isn't fair." Draco whined. "_I'm_ Lord Draco Malfoy, _Governor_ of this school while I'm still in it! I _shouldn't_ be the one needing her, _she_ should need _me_!" He covered his face with his hands as the severity of the situation hit him full force. "And I don't even have my parents around to be able to talk to them."

Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy had died during the war that'd happened only a few months ago, and Draco Malfoy, sole survivor of the Malfoy clan, had instantly become Lord Malfoy despite the fact that he had yet to graduate from Hogwarts.

It was times like these that Dumbledore could see the frightened, lonely inner boy that Malfoy tried pretend didn't exist. "I am sorry for your loss, and I know that I could never take your father's place, but I want you to know that if you need someone to listen, or want advice, my office is always open."

Draco nodded softly before getting up from the large chair. "I believe I'll visit my godfather in the dungeons."

"I believe that's a smashing idea." Dumbledore nodded and watched as the young man left the office, obviously lost in his own subconscious, eyes vacant, trying to accept what he'd been told and finding it hard. "I shall keep an eye on you, Lord Malfoy." Dumbledore whispered long after the door closed behind the blonde. "You will need all the help you can get."

--

* * *

Ginny Weasley was going to hurt someone. And it was most probably going to be a petite dark haired Slytherin girl with the initials PP. The redhead fumed as she remembered hearing what the girls had been whispering about her in the bathroom since they didn't know she was there.

They were saying she was a solicitor! And that most of the money the Order had gotten for the war had come from her and the other females selling their bodies to rich benefactors!

And they'd said Ginny was the best paid one!

_Argh!_

Why did Pansy Parkinson have it out for her? She used to hate Hermione, but after the brunette had saved her during the war the girl had only called her a few names but they didn't even sound sincere anymore. It was like she _needed_ to torture a female Gryffindor and since now she didn't feel she should torture Hermione she'd set her eyes on Ginny.

But Ginny _wasn't_ Hermione, and she _wasn't_ going to let the Slytherin get away with such outlandish accusations.

She was rounding the corner, determined to find Pansy and beat the _shit_ out of her, when there was a violent thudding and the sound of her prey crying out.

Intrigued, Ginny pressed herself against the wall and peeked out around the corner of the deserted hallway, eyes widening when she saw Ron glaring at Pansy, whom he had by the front of her shirt, pressed harshly against the wall.

"Didn't realize you were into kink, Weasley." Pansy drawled.

His eyes narrowed further in anger. "You leave my sister alone, you hear me, Parkinson?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Weasley." Pansy smirked.

"You didn't think I wouldn't hear the things you're saying about her?" Ron shoved the petite Slytherin harder against the wall, face red, steam nearly pouring out through his ears. "It's vicious, cruel and totally untrue!"

"I don't know…" Pansy taunted, apparently at ease despite the fact that her feet weren't even touching the ground. "I heard from Dean Thomas that your little sister's quite the little prostitute. Said she was a, and I quote, _nymphomaniac_."

Ginny's eyes opened and she felt her world collapse around her as she heard the petname Dean had given her pouring vulgarly out of Pansy's mouth.

Ron glared harder. "If you're telling the truth, I'm going to _kill_ Dean."

_Wait in line_, Ginny growled.

Pansy's smirk was cruel. "Hard to believe that your sister is everything you called me, huh?"

Something flashed through Ron's eyes, and shockingly enough, it looked strongly of regret. "We were both drunk, Parkinson, we did things we shouldn't have and said things we shouldn't have. You should just put it behind you and be a fuckin' adult for once."

"So you _shouldn't_ have banged me in your room for _hours_?!" Pansy's eyes were now a blaze of fury as she began to hit Ron viciously. "You _shouldn't_ have _enjoyed_ fucking me into the bed?!"

"No!" Ron exploded, face dangerously close to her own. "I _shouldn't_!"

"You fucking took my virginity you cocksucker!"

Ron stilled, eyes wide. "_What_?" His hold on the Slytherin weakened and she dropped to her feet, glaring murderously at him as he looked down at her with horror. "You were a _virgin_? Why the _hell_ didn't you say something?!"

Ginny couldn't believe it. Everyone in Gryffindor had been _sure_ Pansy was Slytherin's Little Slut, so to hear that she'd been a virgin all this while—and had given it up for _Ron_—well, that made her extra bitchiness understandable.

"Oh, yeah, because when you're about to shag for the first time you _always_ say it out loud." Sarcasm dripped from her every word. "Because the boys _love_ that. It _doesn't_ intimidate them _at all_."

Ron was still red, yet not from anger anymore but from embarrassment. "I didn't know…" he ran his shaky hands through his hair. "I didn't--."

"You don't know a _lot_ of things, Weasley." Pansy sighed, shaking her head, before she pushed passed him and stormed down the still-deserted hallway, leaving Ron to look after her in shocked silence.

Ginny pressed her back against the wall before hurrying in the opposite direction, head spinning with the new information acquired.

--

* * *

Harry Potter was worried.

He knew something was up with Hermione and it hurt him to know that she wasn't confiding in him when he told her _everything_. She was the only person he didn't keep a secret from, he'd grown to love and care and depend on her.

He loved the way she looked after him, loved her laughter, her dimples, the way her eyes twinkled when she was amused and the way they darkened when Ron or someone else annoyed her. He loved how she would come to him after a nightmare and sleep on his bed, holding him tight and whispering softly in his ear that everything would be okay.

It was for _her_ that he'd won the war, it was _her_ image in his mind when he'd been losing against Voldemort, it was _her_ voice telling him he could do it that'd given him the courage and power necessary to send the killing curse and get rid of the Dark Lord once and for all.

And now he was worried that she was slipping out of his hands.

He wouldn't be able to live without Hermione, of that Harry was certain. She was his only family, the other half of his soul, and if he lost her everything he'd ever done would have been in vain.

The-Boy-Who-Conquered growled as he flew over the Quidditch patch on his broom. He should have listened to Ginny at the Burrow. His once girlfriend had been surprisingly supportive when she'd found out that Harry liked Hermione, and she'd told him that life was short, and that if he truly cared for Hermione he should tell her so and make her his.

But he'd wanted to wait until after the war…to keep it secret for a little while longer (even from her!) so that neither Voldemort nor anyone else could use her against him. She was in enough danger by being his friend and a muggleborn.

But what if he'd waited too long?

What if she was going out with someone else?

What if she thought the kiss he'd given her had been out of the adrenaline of the moment? They'd just won the war--she might have thought that he was just showing his happiness!

Dammit!

He could face a Dark Lord but was terrified of facing his best friend and the only female he'd ever truly loved?! The only person who understood him, the only person he needed with a vengeance?!

_Way to go, Potter_.

He closed his eyes in despair at the thought of having lost Hermione.

_I can't lose her…I love her._

--

* * *

"You know Granger, for someone so smart, you're rather dense."

Looking up from the book she'd been happily reading, Hermione Granger sighed when she looked at the caramel-skinned Slytherin sitting on her table in the library. He was looking down at her with his light green eyes, which always contrasted wickedly against his darker tone of skin.

"What am I being insulted about now, Zabini?" She asked, more intrigued than angered. If there was a Slytherin she wouldn't hex on sight it was Zabini. Sure, he was an arrogant son of an Italian bitch, but he was handsome, intelligent, and for some reason had never taken up the habit of taunting her.

So she was more than intrigued when he said this.

Ignoring Madam Pince's sharp order to get off of the table, Zabini looked down expectantly at Hermione as if she should know _why_ he'd called her dense. "Think, Granger. What could I _possibly_ be talking about?"

Hermione _did_ think and really couldn't think of anything--. _Wait_. Her eyes widened, suddenly growing increasingly uncomfortable. _Malfoy wouldn't have told him--would he?_

She tried to play it cool, but when she noticed his piercing green gaze on her neck, right where the glamour was supposed to be covering her bite mark, well, she began to enter full panic.

"Don't worry Granger, the Glamour is still very much on." He drawled languidly, towering over her from where he sat. "No one else can see it."

"Then why can _you_?" No use playing coy, now was there?

"My mother is a seer of sorts." Zabini offered, fingering the pages of the book in front of her. "I inherited some of her talent. I can see through Glamours and most basic illusions, and _invisibility cloaks_."

Hermione's eyes widened.

As did his grin. "That'll be our little secret."

Which he would no doubt blackmail her with sometime in the future…of that Hermione was sure.

"So…_Granger_…" He stole her book from her and sneered at the cover. "Has Malfoy spoken to you since it happened?"

This was so surreal. "No." _Not with his __**mouth**__ at least_.

"Bloody coward." Zabini looked amused. "So he hasn't said anything?" When she shook her head again he cleared his throat. "Nothing _weird_ happened to you after the deed? Nothing…_unusual_?"

Her eyes widened. He knew something!

When she'd left Dumbledore's office she'd _known_ he'd been lying to her, and the fact that the Headmaster would keep something from her had terrified and angered her. And now, here was Zabini, holding the information she so coveted. "I hear him."

"Hard _not_ to, love." Zabini chuckled. "He can whine pretty loudly."

His answer was so surprising she blinked before laughing. "No," she giggled. "I meant that I can hear him _in my head_." She paused. "He always sounds angry and planning on killing Harry."

Zabini's eyes widened a fraction before his mask of indifference returned on his face. "Dray might be my best friend, but I'd go _crazy_ if I had his voice in my head."

She looked up at him. "So it really _is_ his voice?"

Zabini scoffed. "The voice is always angry and planning on killing Potter. Do you _really_ have to ask?"

He had a point there.

"I wouldn't worry too much about it Granger, it's normal. It's just the first step."

Her eyes narrowed. "The first step of _what_?"

Zabini grinned handsomely at her, causing all the females around to sigh dreamily. "Wouldn't you like to know, Granger?"

"What are all of you keeping from me?" Hermione demanded, standing up and placing her hands palm down on the table, face level with Zabini's smirking one. "_Why_ is my hearing Malfoy's voice in my head _normal_?"

He chuckled, twirling a finger around one of her curls. "A little anxious, are we?"

Hermione's eyes widened at the action and blushed completely.

Zabini froze in mid chuckle and winced. "Dammit. I thought his visit with Snape would last longer.

Hermione blinked in confusion and looked around him to see Draco Malfoy in the doorway of the library, glaring murderously at them, eyes…were they _gold_?!

"Granger, do something for me." Zabini's voice was strained. "Smile at him."

"Huh?" Had she just heard that right?

"Just—just _do it_, please?"

It was the _please_ that made her do it. Hermione looked at Blaise's pained face and then back at a furious, golden-eyed Malfoy, and then took in a deep breath before forcing a smile on her face.

Malfoy froze as he saw her smiling at him, and his eyes flickered violently from golden to silver until the silver was once more the dominant color. He stood there, looking amazingly frightened and vulnerable, looking deep into her eyes.

_She smiled at me. Dear Merlin. Hermione Jane Granger actually smiled at me_. His incredulous voice rung through her mind. _What do I--? What is Zabini--? She smiled at me…_

His mask of indifference suddenly took over as his voice in her head died, and the Slytherin turned and walked out of the library.

"What the hell just happened?" Hermione finally returned her attention Zabini.

"You know, love, I would keep your ability to hear Draco's thoughts a secret—especially from him." Zabini announced as he got off of the table and gave her a handsome smirk. "You might just hear some pretty interesting things if you do."

And with that, the dark Slytherin left the library and a thoroughly confused Hermione Granger.

--

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**Hope you all liked the chapter and will review!**


	4. Alluring Alternatives

**Disclaimer: I do not own!**

Hey everyone! I wanted to write this chapter more Hermione and Ginny centric so you would know that Ginny isn't a bitch or a Harry worshipper and Hermione hater or anything like she's usually portrayed when she isn't with Harry in fan fiction. She's happy and content being only Harry's friend and she'd Hermione's best girl friend, and will be helping her out.

Well, I really hope ya'll like this chapter.

* * *

"What do you want, Weasley?" She looked up at him indifferently, as if she didn't care at all that he had searched her out and not a bit worried that he'd tugged her into an abandoned broom closet. "Want another shag before you call me all those vulgar names you learnt from your idiot brothers?"

"No." He was still beating himself over _that _stupidity. "I, I needed to talk to you. I, I wanted to ask your forgiveness."

She froze, dark eyes widening as she looked up at him. "_W-what_?"

"Look, I was drunk, had just found out about Harry and Hermione's attraction and I wasn't dealing well at the time." Merlin, it was hard to admit that. "I was looking to hurt someone just as bad as I was hurting, but that was bad of me. You didn't deserve me to take that from you and then call you all those names when I realized what I'd done."

"You make it sound as if you raped me, Weasley." Parkinson's voice was softer than he'd ever remembered hearing her. "But I went willingly to your room and what we did, I never said or wanted to say no. So you can stop thinking that way."

He paused, wondering how to go about this. He'd have been sure that she would be hitting and screaming at him by now, so her softness was really throwing him off. "Yeah, well, what I said afterwards was wrong. I was out of line, and, well, it might have been my first time too."

Why the hell was he confiding this to her?

Parkinson's head jerked higher so that she was looking up into his face in surprise. "You're lying!"

"No." He felt miserable. This was so _humiliating_.

"I can't--I can't _believe_--you're not saying this just to make me feel better, are you, Weasley?"

He shook his head, completely mortified with how this conversation had turned out.

"Wow." Parkinson whispered. "If that was your _first_ time, well, you're damned good at it."

Suddenly Ron wasn't feeling so mortified.

"Not that it _matters_." Parkinson quickly said, as if realizing how unlike herself she'd been behaving. "Look, Weasley, you're a guy, guys are idiots, so with that in mind I forgive you. Now leave me alone." With that she turned and left the room.

Ron blinked wondering if that had been a blush he'd seen creeping up her neck. Deciding that it _was_ a blush, he began to smirk.

_Damned good, huh?_

* * *

After barely surviving Draco's jealous anger a week ago, Blaise had decided that it would be best to leave Granger to figure things out on her own. She was a very intelligent girl and he'd given her enough clues, and he hadn't been disappointed when he'd realized that whenever the Gryffindor wasn't in class she was in the library, obviously researching her condition.

It wouldn't be long before she discovered the truth, and hopefully Draco would have told her before then.

And what was this about the possibility of someone else out there for Granger?

Draco hadn't stopped ranting and raving in insane jealousy over this mysterious person (who mightn't exist at all) and hadn't even _tried_ to get closer to Granger because in his jealous anger he'd probably snap at her or treat her worse than he had in the past.

Malfoys were very possessive of what they considered their own, and Blaise had noticed with silent amusement how Draco had seemingly no idea that he'd stopped calling her a mudblood and had substituted it with the words 'insufferable bookworm'.

He'd even hexed someone for calling her a mudblood in the dungeons the other day.

The most amusing part of everything was that Draco was oblivious to this and said that he'd hexed the guy because he'd been talking about Granger's hair…and _legs_.

And those were _his bookworm's legs_…

Blaise rolled his eyes at how dense his friend could be when he wanted to be.

_I wonder how Granger is doing on her little mission_. He wondered as they sat by the fire at the free period, trying to finish their homework for the next class. _Maybe I should go and check up on her tonight while Draco is off to Quidditch practice and see what she's come up with so far_.

He couldn't go near her while Draco was around; he didn't want to die any time soon, so he was going to have to do this so that his friend had no idea what he was doing.

"Bugger!" Draco growled as he erased whatever it was that he'd been writing.

Rolling his eyes, Blaise returned his concentration on the scroll before him.

* * *

"I knew I'd find you here." Ginny Weasley sat down on the table covered with books and looked at the friend she hadn't been able to see in over a week. And _oh_ what an eventful week it'd been! Not only had Ginny hexed Dean Thomas so badly he'd been taken to the infirmary, but she'd been thinking a lot about Ron's and Pansy's situation, and it was confusing as hell.

She needed Hermione's advice on what to do about that situation, which was why she'd gone to the library to find her out.

"Hey Gin." Hermione sounded tired as she closed the book she'd been reading and smiled weakly at the redhead. "What brings you to the library?"

"Well, everyone knows that when you disappear it's because you're researching." Ginny browsed the covers of the covers of the books, frowning slightly because they all had something to do with hearing voices (Ex. _So You Hear A Voice In Your Head?_ By Fillius Flannel). "What exactly is going on, Mione?"

Hermione sighed, looking as if the weight of the whole world was on her narrow shoulders. "Ginny, I need to tell you something and I need you to not interrupt until I'm finished and promise not to tell anyone what I'm about to say."

"Even Harry?" Ginny asked warily, wondering why Hermione would be keeping secrets from the boy everyone knew she had a crush on--and who had a crush on her too.

"_Especially_ Harry."

Ginny frowned. This wasn't good. "Sure, tell me."

Hermione sighed and proceeded to tell her about what'd happened with Malfoy (without going into details), how at first she'd thought it was a dream, and about his voice in her head and Blaise Zabini's cryptic little visit.

Ginny's eyes were wide and her face blushing when it was over. "Y-y-y-y-y-you slept with _Draco Malfoy_?!" She whispered scandalously. "Was he any good?"

"_GINNY!_"

Madam Pince glared at Hermione.

The Gryffindor ignored the librarian. "Is that all you have to say? If he's any good?"

"Well, I've heard all the rumors." Ginny leaned forwards on the table so they could talk softly without being overheard or drawing any attention in their direction. "And, believe me, I saw him once without his shirt at a beach last summer. _Nice_ doesn't even come _close_ to how he looked shirtless. Ferret he might be, but _Merlin_ he looked hot."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Be serious."

"I _am_!" Ginny exclaimed, hand to her heart. "I nearly had a heart attack when I realized how low those shorts rode on his hips!"

A smile tugged on the corner of Hermione's lips at her amusement of Ginny's plight. She then frowned, looking intrigued. "How low _were_ they?"

Ginny looked around to make sure no one was looking before motioning with her hands to the exact lowness.

Hermione went hot red. "But that's _indecent_!"

Ginny blushed at the memory. "It was that day that I realized I was _completely_ over Harry."

Hermione raised her eyebrow at the dreaminess in the redhead's voice.

Ginny blushed harder, not noticing Hermione's glare. "Of course, I'd never do anything with the Ferret—or him with me—but realizing I was _way_ attracted to Harry's rival let me realize that I was ready to play the field."

Hermione was silent.

"So," Ginny returned her attention to her friend. "_Was_ it any good?"

Hermione looked down at her book, glaring at the words written there. "Yes." And she sounded as if she completely _hated_ that she had to answer that.

"Oh, wow." Ginny blinked. "So, Mione, what does the Ferret say in your head?"

Hermione reluctantly put down her book. "Well, he's not exactly speaking to me, he's _thinking, _and I think he doesn't realize that I can hear his thoughts. Zabini told me not to let Draco know and that I would hear some very interesting things if I did. Since Dumbledore wouldn't help me and Zabini _is_, I'm going with the Slytherin's advice. Plus, I've been researching this all week and I've narrowed down the possibilities due to symptoms and circumstances and I've been left with four alternatives."

Ginny sighed, the look on Hermione's face said that she didn't like either alternative. "What are they?"

"Number one is that I'm completely bonkers and should be interned in St. Mungos as soon as possible." Hermione gritted her teeth at that. "But I refuse to believe that I'm insane, so that truly only leaves me with _three_ alternatives."

There was silence.

"Which _are…_?" Ginny prompted.

Hermione sighed. "None of them are good, Ginny."

Realizing that her friend was truly distressed, Ginny leaned over and placed her hand on Hermione's. "I'm not interning you in St. Mungos, you have to help me pass my exams and survive life with my brothers and Harry." She smiled when that got a soft chuckle from her friend. "So tell me what the other alternatives are."

Hermione squeezed the hand on hers and took in a deep breath. "Well, one of the alternatives is the theory of the _Anima Communis_."

Ginny frowned. "The _what_?!"

"The theory of the _shared soul_." Hermione explained, speaking in her 'professor' voice, which the boys called the no-nonsense way she spoke when teaching them something.

"That doesn't sound good."

Hermione nodded in agreement. "There's a theory that everyone in the world have only a half of their soul, and that they were whole in heaven or Valhalla, or wherever you believe your god lives and so forth they are whole."

Ginny nodded. For her family it was Avalon, land of the golden apples.

"And that theory says that when it is time for us to be incarnated in human flesh our souls are divided and become a baby, and that baby will grow up and never be truly happy in life until they find the other half of their soul, who has been born somewhere else."

Ginny winced. "What if there is a fluke and your soulmate ends up another girl? And you're not a lesbian?"

"That's actually happened once or twice." Hermione quickly grabbed another book and flipped through the pages before finding the one she was looking for and turning it so that Ginny could see a picture of two wizards and two witches. "Mostly though the other partner _was_ homosexual so there wasn't any trouble, but these two cases were the first _flukes_ like you called them."

Ginny took the book from her friend and sped-read the article under each segment. The females had had a rocky time but after the soulmate nearly died saving the witch she'd given in and they'd ended up together.

The two wizards had had a tragic story. The wizard had been quite homophobic and refused to acknowledge that another wizard had been his soulmate, and it was only after the soulmate died of a broken heart (which apparently could happen) did the wizard admit things to himself and died as well.

"Why aren't they teaching us these things in Hogwarts?" Ginny asked, closing the book slowly. "This is _important_. What if I have a soulmate in the school and I'll never know or won't be able to realize the truth because I have no idea how to recognize my soulmate?"

"Well, it _is_ only a theory." Hermione tried to calm her obviously anxious friend.

"And soulmates…they can hear each other's thoughts?"

Hermione nodded. "But only after consummating their relationship and 'reuniting their souls'."

Ginny sighed. "Okay, if that is you and Draco it would suck, but the idea in itself is_ so romantic_."

Hermione shook her head at the redhead. "What if you found out you had a soulmate and it was someone you hated like Crabbe, or was another girl like Millicent Bulstrode or Parvati Patil?"

Ginny winced. "Okay, romanticness gone."

Hermione smiled in amusement at the non-word.

"So, what's number two?" Ginny asked, elbows against the table, absolutely _enthralled_ with this conversation.

"That would be the one I think is the real reason." Hermione supplied, sitting up straighter in her seat. "It's the _Iunctura Confatalis_, or joint or shared fate."

"Is that like a shared soul?" Ginny asked, wondering why they didn't teach these things in Hogwarts. Not only were they wickedly interesting, but they were also important!

"Yes and no." Hermione answered. "The Shared Soul theory is that everyone in the world has a shared soul with someone else, whereas the Shared Fate really only has to do with two or a few more specific people during a time of great trouble and danger, like the one we are living in now."

"I can see why you think this might be it."

"Yeah, well, the theorized idea is that the fates see when danger is up, and they send couples to be born who are joined with each other whose fate is to be important figures in the upcoming war. There's almost always one who sides with the light and one who sides with the darkness, and one will have to convince the other to change sides and fight with them, because they have the same fate, the same future."

Hermione took in a deep breath and continued. "The struggle usually starts right after the consummation of their relationship, in which they have certain powers over each other, one which happens to be to read each other's thoughts."

"Wow." Ginny's eyes widened. "What about the third theory?"

"Well, it's actually the least likely of the three." Hermione admitted.

"Why?"

"Because Draco would have to be a vampire, and believe me, not even Wizarding vampires can go out into the sun so it is impossible for him to be one. But still, it was an interesting theory so I just kept it in."

"Go on."

"Well, when a vampire chooses a human Bride or a pet or slave, they form a mental bond with them. While a pet or a slave has a strong bond mentally, the strongest is that of the vampire with his/her Bride/Groom, and reading each other's minds is only the beginning. The vampire, if strong and trained, can slightly control the Bride/Groom mentally by _subconscious suggestions_ and so many other things. There's more information, but since despite the fact that Malfoy has a biting fetish he _isn't_ a vampire, I really don't think it's necessary to say them or research it more."

Ginny's eyes widened. "He has a _biting fetish_?!"

Hermione turned hot red. "I didn't mean to let that slip."

"Oh! Mione!" Ginny exclaimed, hugging a random book to her heart. "You only gave me the Witch's Digest Summarized Version! I want all the dirty details!"

"I'm not giving you any _details_." Hermione announced, scandalized. "What happened in the library and Prefects bathroom is entirely between Malfoy and I only!"

"The library and _bathroom_?!" Ginny exclaimed a little _too loud_. "Oh Merlin, I didn't realize you two were so _kinky!_ I _definitely_ need details now!_"_

* * *

Lol. Liked that chapter.

**How about a review?**


	5. Hidden Hideaways

**Disclaimer: I do not own.**

_Well, this is actually my favorite chapter in this story so far. Blaise and Draco have got to be the sexiest characters of Harry Potter (and my favs…as anyone can tell, especially if you've already read __**To Own Hermione Granger**__) and so I enjoyed writing both of them with Hermione in this chappie._

**Ostendo is supposed to mean Reveal.**

* * *

"Eye of newt and toe of frog," a strong male voice whispered in Hermione's ear later that night in the Library, causing her to jump slightly and turn from the book she'd been researching and towards the close face of Blaise Zabini. "Wool of bat and tongue of dog."

The handsome, caramel skinned boy was leaning on the back of her chair smirking into her face. "Adder's fork and blind-worm's sting; lizard's leg and howlet's wing--for a charm of powerful trouble, like a hell-broth boil and bubble." There was a throaty chuckle. "Looking for any spell in particular, Granger?"

Hermione blinked in surprise. Blaise Zabini knew _Shakespeare_? Or had he just heard that somewhere and memorized it? "And therefore think him as a serpent's egg, which hatch'd, would as his kind grow mischievous, and kill him in his shell."

"Ouch, still name calling are we Granger? You know, they always say that when a girl likes a guy she teases him." Zabini was smirking as he pulled up the seat next to hers. "Sigh no more, ladies, sigh no more."

"It's when a guy likes a girl the _guy _is the one who teases." Hermione rolled her eyes at his last quote, of _course _he'd know _that _one. "So where did you hear Shakespeare from, Zabini? He was Muggle."

"Was not." He protested, stealing the book from her. "Billy was a squib." Seeing her eyes widen in surprise he snorted. "How do you think he knew so much about the fairies and such?"

"Shakespeare was a _SQUIB_?!" Hermione cried out, horrified at the fact that she hadn't known this.

"And I can out-quote you in him too." Zabini seemed utterly smug.

The Gryffindor narrowed her eyes at him. "Oh, you're _on_."

Grinning, Zabini put down the book and started the challenge. "Two households, both alike in dignity, in fair Verona, where we lay our scene, from ancient grudge break to new mutiny, where civil blood makes civil hands unclean."

_Oh, this is just too easy_. She picked up from where he'd left off. "From forth the fatal loins of these two foes, a pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life; whose misadventur'd piteous overthrows, doth with their death bury their parents strife." She grinned brightly. "Romeo and Juliet. _Pfst. _Try harder."

He sat straighter and without a moment's thought did as told. "One more, one more. Be thus when thou art dead, and I will kill thee, and love thee after. One more and that's the last." He reached for her hand and held it.

Oh, he was good. Trying to distract her by rubbing the inside of her palm with his thumb like that, but she wasn't going to let him get to her. "So sweet was ne'er so fatal. I must weep, but they are cruel tears. This sorrow's heavenly, it strikes where it doth love." She paused. "Othello. My turn."

"Hit me with your best shot, Granger." Zabini purred leaning closer, still holding her hand.

"We that are lovers run in strange capers…"

"Lovers now are we, Granger?" Zabini's grin was suggestive before he finished the sentence. "But as all is mortal in nature, so is all nature in love mortal in folly. '_As You Like It'_. Granger, that was too easy."

She made a face at him.

Zabini's thumb continued to rub against the pad of her palm. "Ay me! For aught that I could ever read, could ever hear by tale or history, the course of true love never did run smooth; but either it was different in blood…"

Hermione's eyes widened, recognizing one of the parts she'd had to memorize when she'd done an onstage production of _A Midsummer Night's Dream _last summer. "O cross! Too high to be enthrall'd to low."

"Or else misgraffed in respect of years…"Zabini continued purring out the lines of Lysander.

And Hermione continued with the lines of Hermia. "O spite! Too old to be engag'd to young."

"Or else it stood upon the choice of friends…"

"O hell! To choose love by another's eyes." Hermione grinned at Zabini. "I can't believe Shakespeare was a squib."

"Would I have been allowed to read his works had he not been?" Zabini asked, before his green eyes landed on the scroll on the table, in which Hermione had written down the three alternatives. "I see you're onto the right path."

Hermione blinked in surprise, turning to the scroll and picking it up. "It's one of these, isn't it? One of these is the reason why I hear Malfoy in my head."

He nodded silently.

Hermione, suddenly realizing that he still held her hand, blushed scarlet, wondering if she should pull hers away or just let him hold it. The situation was surreal.

"You are bound to him, Granger, so I would really advise for you to just accept the situation and make it easier on the both of you."

"I'm a Gryffindor, since when do we do things the easier way?" Hermione pouted.

Zabini grinned once more. "Well said."

Hermione suddenly frowned, looking up at the only Slytherin she'd ever respected, and who'd ever respected her back. "You won't tell me which of the options it is, will you?" She wasn't surprised when he shook his head. "I'm not going to be able to get out of this, will I?"

Once again, Zabini shook his head.

"But _why me_?" Hermione growled. "Why did it happen to _me!? _Malfoy and I can't _stand _each other! We're completely opposites! _That _shouldn't have happened! He must have been on some potion and _I _thought it was a dream!"

Zabini raised an eyebrow. "Fantasize about Malfoy frequently, do we?"

"What? _No!_" Hermione's eyes widened and she went beet red, jerking her hand out of his. "No! No! _No! _Of _course not_! I would _never ever EVER _fantasize about Malfoy!"

Zabini's smirk was in place. "The lady doth protest too much, methinks."

"Enough with Shakespeare, loverboy." Hermione growled.

Zabini leaned back against his chair. "Once again with the word 'lover'. Honestly Granger, you're making me think the one you fantasize about might actually be _me_."

"And I'd just have to _kill you _if that happened to be so, wouldn't I, Zabini?" Another voice growled in the darkness and they turned rapidly to see gold eyes flashing in the black of the shadows. "Then again, I have enough reason to kill you _right now you backstabbing bastard_."

The color rushed from Zabini's face as he stood. "Malfoy get control of yourself. Not in front of her, man!"

Hermione's breath caught in her throat as Malfoy emerged from the shadows, eyes glowing furious gold as he glared murderously at his best friend. He looked like a night demon come for his prey, about to tear Zabini to pieces and _enjoy_ his screams of pain.

"You thought you could sneak around her while I wasn't around?" Malfoy voice was sandpaper as he stalked towards them. "You thought I didn't sense your thoughts on her? You think I didn't _know_ you were waiting for me to be gone so you could come to her?"

Hermione wasn't exactly sure what was going on with Malfoy, but for some reason she wasn't frightened for herself--although she _was_ terrified for Zabini.

"If you don't calm down--." Zabini was trying to rationalize, trying to calm him.

"_Shut the fuckin' hell Zabini!_" Malfoy hissed, eyes going blood red, fangs peeking through his lips, fingernails growing into claws that bit into his closed fists and caused his own blood to drip from his pierced hands.

Hermione cried out, eyes wide in horror, shooting up from her chair with her hand to her mouth. Without even realizing it she'd thrown herself into Zabini's surprised arms, trembling fiercely, closing her eyes tightly.

Malfoy had just turned into a _monster_ right in front of her eyes!

And it wasn't that Hermione hadn't faced monsters before…Remus Lupin's werewolf form during her third year was just an example of the many things she'd survived since she'd started attending Hogwarts, but there was something about Malfoy's new form that radiated darkness…darkness that called to her, and _that_ frightened her more than his physical appearance.

"Uh, _Granger_?" Zabini announced slowly. "You're not exactly helping the situation."

"Shut the hell up!" Hermione snapped against his chest, trying to calm down enough to let go of the hold she had on his shirt and turn to face the creature that was Malfoy…the creature whose aura called to her like a siren.

"Get you're bloody hands off of my woman Zabini!" Malfoy's venom-filled voice was closer than before.

"No." Zabini shocked them both. "Malfoy, you're _scaring_ her! You were supposed to get close to her and get her to accept you as a _person_ before you showed her this other side of you!"

There was a vicious growl right behind Hermione, and she unconsciously pressed herself harder against Blaise, closing her eyes so tightly they hurt.

A pained whimper followed her action.

"See you bloody fool?" Zabini snapped, obviously now more ticked than frightened. "You really are an _idiot_!" His hands went around Hermione awkwardly, rubbing her back. "Granger? If Malfoy's gonna hurt anyone it's not going to be you. You can relax."

Hermione tensed when she sensed Malfoy right next to them…sniffing her.

"Get the fuck away until I've at least stopped her from having a heart attack!"

"_You_ get the fuck away from my _mate_!" Malfoy hissed.

Hermione froze, eyes flying open.

_**Mate**_?!

"_Shit_." Zabini cursed, noticing her reaction and realizing that she now had a _very_ good idea of what was going on. "Granger?"

"_Mate_?" She pushed away and looked at both Zabini and Malfoy (whose fangs and claws had disappeared and whose eyes were slowly returning from a golden red to their normal silver) and thought of the words _And all that's best of Dark and Bright_…and added…_meet in His aspect and His eyes._

The boys shared guarded, wary looks, although Malfoy seemed slightly frightened.

"Y—you mean _Bride_, don't you?" She whispered, backing up until she'd run into the table. "Oh _Merlin_." Suddenly all fear was replaced by anger and she glared up at the blonde. "How _dare_ you bite me and make me your Bride without even warning me?! You—you—_vampire_!"

Malfoy glared at her. "The term's _dhampir_."

Hermione blinked.

He was a _dhampir_?

Well, this was an improvement. He wasn't dead, for one, and she didn't have to die either.

Yes, things were looking up.

"Look, Granger, I think that it's time they told you everything." Zabini was in front of her once more, hand on her shoulder despite Malfoy's warning growl, and motioning for her to sit down.

Hermione nodded, sitting down and looking up at the handsome, caramel-skinned boy. He'd been the only honest person with her, and she'd listen to him.

"You know how the Veela gene really only works in the females?" Zabini continued when she nodded in confusion, wondering what Veelas had to do with the fact that Malfoy was a dhampir. "Well, that doesn't mean that the male descendants don't have the gene in them, it just isn't active."

Hermione frowned, suddenly having a frightening little idea where this conversation could be leading to.

"It is very rare, yet a male _has_ been heard to come upon his Veela Heritage if he survives a very violent attempt at his life." Zabini shared a look with Malfoy before continuing. "Malfoy and I are both descendants from a very strong Veela background, and when he was nearly killed by a vampire a little while ago, he was converted into a dhampir when Snape killed the vampire that was trying to sire him, and his Veela Heritage also became activated."

Hermione gulped.

This was worse than she'd previously thought.

"So he's a _DampVeela_?" She made a face at the ridiculous sounding name.

Malfoy winced at the name as well. "I'm a Malfoy and you're mine. That's all that bloody matters."

Zabini flinched and sighed, slapping his palm to his forehead.

Hermione growled at Malfoy, shooting up from her chair. "_No_ that is _not_ all that bloody matters! I want to know _why the hell_ you'd do this to _me_! Why not Parkinson or someone? Why _me_?"

"Because my bloody Veela instincts found it fucking _hilarious_ to decide that you're my mate!" Malfoy growled right back at her, and somehow they were standing in front of each other, eyes flashing, faces red in anger.

Zabini watched them oddly.

"Well, your _instincts_ are off!" Hermione stomped her foot childishly and didn't care. "I am _not_ your _anything_!"

"You're my _everything_!"

Both Malfoy and Hermione froze, eyes widening when those words left the blonde's mouth.

"While you two are making _wonderful_ progress, I have to point out that I sense Potter and Weasley heading in this direction and I don't think this is a conversation or situation that they should know of as yet."

Hermione looked at Zabini before nodding and turning to Malfoy. "You so much as _think_ about trying that mental _Suggestion_ on me, and so help me I'll--."

She was interrupted by Zabini breaking out into hysterics.

Malfoy made a face and grumbled, folding his arms sulkily over his chest. "Wouldn't bloody matter if I tried. You're _defective_."

"I beg your pardon?" Hermione shrieked.

Zabini was holding his stomach as he laughed. "He's been trying to use _Suggestion_ on you ever since he claimed you. So either dhampirs don't have that little ability, or his Veela genes are interfering with it--_or_ you're just very mentally strong, which, _personally_, I think is the real reason."

Hermione blinked. She was both horrified at the thought of Malfoy trying to use the power of _Suggestion_ on her and somewhat honored that Zabini thought so much of her mental strength.

Malfoy glared at the both of them before turning his glare at the empty library. "I thought you said Potty and Weasel were coming?"

"They changed course some minutes ago." Blaise shrugged.

Hermione turned to him. "How do you know that?"

"Told you Granger, my mother was a unique kind of seer," Zabini smirked handsomely at him. "I inherited some gifts I don't broadcast to the whole Wizarding world--_unlike_ Potter."

Hermione glared at his quip against Harry. "Harry has had to use those _Broadcasted Gifts_ to try and defeat a timeless _monster_--which he _did­--thank you very much_. Its thanks to _him_ that that monster is gone forever and you all are alive and able to finish high school, and don't have ugly tattoos on your arms!"

Zabini winced.

Malfoy growled, eyes flashing gold once more in obvious jealousy.

"Oh no you don't!" Hermione pointed her finger at the blonde. "You know very well that I'm telling the truth! And you have _no_ right to be angry at me for defending Harry! So you keep those claws and fangs hidden!"

Surprisingly enough, Draco's eyes went silver immediately. He frowned in confusion, looking surprised and worried about something as his hand went to his teeth, as if surprised to feel them blunt.

Zabini suddenly froze. "I sense Filch and Mrs. Norris, they're close."

Hermione quickly looked at the clock in the room and winced. "We're past curfew! No _wonder_ Harry and Ron left! They would have thought that I was keeping track of the time and that I would have gone to the Commons."

Zabini frowned. "They're coming closer."

Hermione quickly grabbed her bag and began throwing her books and quills into it.

"We have to get out of here." Malfoy announced, surprising her by holding her by her upper arm carefully as if frightened to hurt her with his strength, yet still his grasp urgent and protective.

"Follow me." Grabbing Hermione's bag from her, Zabini hurried down the Muggle Books aisle and after sharing a confused look, Malfoy and Hermione hurried after him.

The Slytherin stopped at the wall at the end of the aisle and pulled out his wand, tapping it twice against the wall whispering "_Ostendo"_.

Suddenly a Glamour seemed to fall from the wall like a curtain, and a door appeared before them.

Hermione blinked in surprise.

This was _so_ not mentioned in _Hogwarts: A History_!

"Hurry up and _get in_!" Zabini hissed, hurrying inside the small room, cursing softly.

Hermione cried when Malfoy pushed her in and she stumbled into Zabini, who was trapped against a wall.

Malfoy hurried in and the door closed behind him, the room going so small it forced him against Hermione's back, trapping her against the two Slytherins.

Hermione went beet red and she opened her mouth to say _something_ as the walls closed around them, when they went invisible and it was as if they were in the library, but with a thin curtain between them and the others.

It was sort of like when she was under the Invisibility Cloak with Harry and Ron…except this was _so_ different from when she was with them.

The room had constricted until it was framing them.

Zabini had his back hard against the wall, her bag on the floor by his feet, and Hermione plastered against his chest, hands on his shoulders, somewhat straddling one of his thighs, blushing as Malfoy was also forced up behind her, arms around her and Zabini, breath against her ear, hands palm down on the wall on either side of Zabini's head.

Suddenly, as she felt _two_ things hardening against her, claustrophobia wasn't the only reason she was finding it hard to breathe.

"What is it, Miss Norris?" Argus Filch could be heard wheezing. "What do you see? Are there any nasty students in need of punishing?"

Malfoy's nose was buried in her neck, and he sniffed her softly, his tongue hesitantly sneaking out to taste her skin.

Hermione whimpered, body trembling at his touch as he replaced his tongue with his teeth, nibbling provocatively at the curve of her neck.

Malfoy, obviously embolden by her soft whimpers, began to slowly, teasingly thrust against her ass, which unknowingly pushed her rhythmically against _Zabini's_ hard on.

The caramel-skinned Slytherin groaned in agony and threw his head back, looking up at the ceiling as if asking the gods why in the world they were doing this to him.

"That's just a _wall_, Miss Norris." Argus Filch announced as he followed his cat down the Muggle Books aisle and looked at the wall at the end of the shelves. "Now, come on my dear, I mustn't be late for my date with Miss Pince."

Miss Norris was obviously reluctant to leave, but she followed her master out nonetheless with an obedient meow.

Suddenly, as soon as they were gone, the room widened once more and the door opened, causing the three teenagers to tumble out of their hiding place in a mess of hands and feet.

Hermione was the first to her feet, grabbing her bag. "Meet me here tomorrow at the free period. We need to talk!" And red faced and painfully aroused, she rushed out of the library, leaving two confused and just as painfully aroused Slytherins behind.

* * *

It took me forever to decide what to write after Draco changed right in front of Hermione, which is one of the reasons why I took forever to update. Anyway, everyone wanted Draco and Hermione to be in a scene together so here you go, a whole chapter! Lol, review please!


	6. Questions Answered

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

_PLEASE READ:_

_THIS IS "M" FOR A REASON!_

_1) I should probably warn everyone that this will be an extremely unconventional story, and that I will be experimenting with different taboos because this story just asks for it. So if unconventional pairings (think To Own Hermione Granger and Best Laid Plans) and romances offend you, I am sorry._

_2) Blaise Zabini will MOST PROBABLY come into his Veela Heritage as well…_

_3)I'm toying with the idea of giving Ginny a 'soulmate' or something like that because of a reviewer and a couple of PM'ers who thought it would be hilarious to "give her that 'romanticness' she wanted" but twist it so that her soulmate was someone she'd never have wanted normally--and if I do it it will NOT be Zabini--so please don't ask for it. Just another warning about the unconventional pairings._

_**Sorry for the long wait, but I had to decide whether to follow the plotline I'd designed or go in the direction the readers wanted, but I decided to stay true to my original plot.**_

* * *

The next day found two Slytherins and two Gryffindors sitting in the farthest corner of the Library, all looking uncomfortable yet determined. Draco and Blaise hadn't been surprised when Hermione had appeared with Weaslette to their meeting, knowing that the brunette would have wanted some sort of moral support and buffer to make sure things didn't get out of control like they had the night before.

It was Weaslette's enthusiasm with the whole thing that surprised them. She'd listened along with Hermione as Draco and Blaise (after casting a silencing bubble around their table) told them of how Draco had been turned and how he'd nearly died because of the experience.

"And Mione's blood is the only blood he's attracted to?" Weaslette asked, looking more intrigued than worried.

Draco nodded slowly, still not sure that he liked Weaslette being in on his secret, but if it helped Hermione accept him and their matehood, then he would tolerate her presence.

"Do you think that's the Veela side influencing you?" The redhead asked, causing the males to suddenly pay her more attention.

"What do you mean?" Blaise asked, leaning forwards in interest.

"Well, when Hermione came to look for me last night we talked it over until early this morning." Weaslette said slowly, looking at her silent best friend in slight concern before continuing. "And we were wondering how much your Veela side influences your Dhampir and vice versa. And this is just one of them." She paused. "A Veela only desires his mate, so it shouldn't be too surprising that because of this, your dhampir side would only desire the blood of his Bride."

Draco blinked, leaning forwards in his seat as well. His appreciation for the female weasel was rising in leaps and bounds. Blaise and he had been wondering about that for a while now, and now that the answer was right before them he felt stupid for not figuring it out before.

The blonde was silent as he looked at Hermione, whose own gaze was on her hands. He also had a suspicion that his Veela blood had messed up the only good thing he'd considered had come out of being turned--the power of _Suggestion_.

Veelas never forced anything upon their mates--on the contrary--they did whatever they could to please said person so that they would never leave them, because for a Veela life without their other half was a miserable existence. But Draco knew that he _did_ have the power of _Suggestion_—he'd experimented on it last night and it'd worked on some of his housemates.

But it hadn't with Hermione…

…though, without her knowing, she'd used it on _him_.

The Slytherin would never let her know it, but apparently the tables had been turned, and the Veela within him had turned over the power of _Suggestion_ on to _her_. That was why when she'd ordered him to put away his fangs they'd immediately disappeared on their own.

Draco frowned.

He didn't like anyone having any power on him, not even his mate. It wasn't safe to let Hermione know that she had this special control, because knowing her she'd do something stupid like _Suggesting_ he become best friends with Potty and Weasel, or _Suggesting_ he go away…forever.

And Draco didn't want to do any of those things.

He just wanted Hermione…

…despite _how_ difficult the damned Gryffindor was.

"I think we should go to Dumbledore about this." Hermione finally spoke, looking up her from ink-stained fingers. "He kept things from me before, but now that we are all here together he won't be able to…there's no reason to anymore. We _need_ to know what to expect out of this. I _need_ to know what to tell Harry--I--I can't keep lying to him."

Draco's eyes narrowed and he clutched his fist to try and keep control over his temper.

_Potter. It's always damned Potter! I'm her mate—I need her—I'd die without her—and whose welfare does she worry about? POTTER'S!_

He was so deep in his thoughts that he hadn't noticed Hermione's blinking and looking at him in surprise.

_What does he have that I don't? I have more money than him. I have a better bloodline. I need her. I want her. I—I—I--_.

"I think it's a good idea, actually." Blaise announced, leaning forwards. "I believe the Headmaster was keeping silent because he wanted Hermione to discover the truth from Draco, and now that she has he really doesn't have any reason not to tell you all whatever he knows on the subject."

"And he's going to have to change some things." The youngest of the group announced with a frown. "I mean, like living quarters for one. The nightmares have got to be killing Malfoy, and while I usually really wouldn't give a rat's ass about him--."

"Hey!" Draco cried out, insulted.

"--he's my best friend's mate," Weaslette continued as if he hadn't spoken. "And I don't want her forever attached to a crazy guy."

Draco stayed quiet, thinking that it was a good thing that Blaise and he hadn't explained that while he couldn't survive without Hermione, she very well could survive without _him_.

That was _not_ information she needed to know--_ever_.

"How do you know about the nightmares?" Blaise asked. "The guy wakes up screaming, cursing, and sweating like a pig every night. It's bloody impossible to sleep in the same room with him anymore."

"My brother married a Veela." Weaslette offered with a sneer, letting everyone know how she felt about _that_ union. "I read up everything I could about them to try and find something that would convince him to call off the wedding. He never did—but I still have a lifetime of knowledge on the subject."

Which could be very useful to them in the future--and would explained _why_ Hermione would go to look for the redhead's help after discovering the truth.

"What…_nightmares_?" Hermione finally asked, sounding like she was somewhat reluctant to ask.

Weaslette turned to her friend. "Well, when a Veela is separated from her…_err…his_ mate, the Veela suffers things like sweaty, shaky hands, fever, panic attacks, and most commonly, nightmares."

"I didn't know this." The brunette Gryffindor whispered.

Draco shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

Blaise looked oddly at the couple in silence.

Weaslette looked at the three of them with a frown.

Blaise suddenly looked over Hermione's shoulder and smirked, looking down at the paper in front of him. "Weaslette? I thought you said that Weasel and Potter would be _busy_ all evening?"

Draco frowned, looking up as did Weaslette and Hermione, not seeing the two anywhere.

"But they _are_ busy." Weaslette sounded confused.

"If by '_busy'_ you meant trying to spy on us by using Potter's _Invisibility Cloak_, then _yes_, they _are 'busy'._" Blaise shook his head. "Good thing I thought of putting up the Silencing Bubble. They must be _annoyed as hell_ trying to read our lips."

Draco snickered. "And let's face it, Saviors of the Wizarding World they might be--but smart? Nah-uh."

Weaslette actually _grinned_.

Hermione did not. She scowled darkly at Draco for that barb against her two best friends and turned to Blaise. "Where are they?"

"Behind you." The Slytherin announced, his green gaze meeting hers.

"How does he know this if they're supposed to be using the Invisibility Cloak?" Weaslette asked, intrigued.

"Blaise can do some _amazing_ things." Hermione answered slowly.

"I'm the full-package." Blaise grinned suggestively. "As you well know, luv, you got enough of a feel of it last night."

Hermione suddenly blushed darkly and looked down at her lap.

Weaslette blinked.

Draco growled, hating it whenever Blaise and Hermione did that. He was on such a fragile line when it came to the brunette, and yet his friend seemed to have easily snuck his way into her life. Hermione was at _ease_ around Blaise, had been for years, and even if Draco ignored and tried to deny the obvious attraction between his best mate and his, well, _mate_, he couldn't ignore the fact that she was closer, and obviously felt more comfortable with Blaise.

_Well, HE didn't spend the last couple of years tormenting her._ His inner voice grumbled petulantly._ He actually was friends with her without anyone else knowing_.

And that just made Draco feel more insecure.

And, of course, the nightmares weren't helping his situation much either.

Weaslette was still looking at the three of them in confusion. "Is there anything else anyone wants to tell me about this situation?"

Hermione stood. "Let's go see Dumbledore."

Blaise nodded and stood with a grin. "Let's go give him a headache."

Hermione rolled her eyes at him.

Weaslette watched them before looking at Draco thoughtfully.

He met her look with a glare. "Let's just get this over with."

* * *

As soon as the Gargoyles closed behind the four teens, Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley pulled the invisibility cloak from off of them. The dark haired, emerald-eyed savior of the Wizarding World frowned as he looked at the entrance of Headmaster Dumbledore's office.

"What the _bloody hell_ were 'Mione and Gin doing with those two _snakes_?" Ron exploded, verbalizing the thought that'd been torturing Harry since they'd decided to find out what was wrong with the girls and taken to following them.

"Whatever reason it is, I bet it has to do with why 'Mione's been acting so weird." Harry wanted to believe that Malfoy and Zabini had hexed Hermione, but he valued her fighting and defense skills too much to believe that _either_ Slytherin could get the best of her, so obviously this was something else.

But why was Hermione spending time with _them_? Why was Ginny doing the same? And _what_ did those four have to talk about that was _so_ secretive that they'd need a _Silencing Bubble_?

He and Ron were _atrocious_ when it came to reading lips, so they'd just been annoyed and irritated as they stood next to the four at the library, watching them have an intense (though inaudible to them)conversation that ranged though a varying amount of emotions--irritation, embarrassment, anger, unease…_attraction_…

Harry closed his eyes and leaned against the wall, heart hurting. He knew Hermione better than she even knew herself, and from her body language he'd realized that she was attracted to the Slytherins, and it'd pissed and honestly _shocked_ him to realize that the Slytherins shared the attraction.

He was losing her…

What had he done wrong?

Was it too late?

A feeling of discomfort and fear rose in his stomach all the way to his throat, burning him from within. Nausea made him clutch at his stomach and tighten his closed eyes, making a face at the burning within as it grew hotter.

"Harry, mate, are you okay?"

He couldn't understand the pain, couldn't understand the _illness_ that seemed to be eating at him at the real possibility of losing Hermione before he'd truly had her.

Spots of white danced in front of his closed eyelids and he felt a wave of dizziness hit him.

"_Harry_?!"

Blood thudded loudly in his ears, deafening him to Ron's worried, and distorted voice.

_I can't lose her_…Harry thought desperately before he slumped to the ground. _I can't…I CAN'T…_

"Harry!" Ron's voice seemed faraway. "SOMEONE! GET MADAM POMFREY!"

* * *

Dumbledore had _really_ hoped that he wouldn't be having this conversation so quickly. True, he was an eccentric old man, but he was _still_ a man, and found these types of conversations _uncomfortable_. Still, he was proud that they'd managed to get to an understanding and that they also had support from friends and confidants in such a trying and burdensome time as this would be.

And if the dream he'd had the night before had anything to say about it, things were going to get _a lot_ more interesting in Hogwarts.

And that was saying a lot!

"Mates are chosen by the inner creature." Dumbledore answered Hermione's question with a small smile for her as she held hands with the young Weasley girl. "It senses the beings around it, and picks the one best suited for them."

"What about Brides? How are _they_ chosen?" Ginny asked in a way that made him realize that the girls had discussed this before, but the boys looked at each other in interest, obviously this being something they hadn't thought of before.

"Well, that is a little more complicated but more adaptable to this situation since despite it all, Mister Malfoy is more of a dhampir than a Veela."

"So you're saying he is a dhampir with some Veela tendencies?" Blaise asked in curiosity from where he sat carelessly on one of the seats.

"Yes." Dumbledore nodded. "From tests done on Mister Malfoy before he left the Hospital Wing, Severus, Poppy and I have come to an accordance that while Draco's Veela Heritage is now active, it is his passive side. The dhampir in him is dominant, and thus that is what he would be recorded as in the Ministry if his situation was made public--something we have no intention of doing for Mister Malfoy's best interest."

Relief quickly raced through Draco's eyes at that, and he took in a deep breath, as if trying to calm himself.

Dumbledore sighed, sad that the young man had to go through this at such a young age.

"Yes, as helpful as that was," Ginny announced, leaning forwards. "You didn't answer my question, Headmaster."

"Why is it so important?" Draco growled at the redhead.

"Well, for one, we should be able to understand _why_ both your sides chose _Hermione_!" Ginny snapped back. "Haven't you stopped to think that maybe your Veela side could have picked one person and your dhampir could have picked another?"

The room fell silent.

Hermione winced, proving Dumbledore's suspicion that _she_ had actually been the one to come up with that thought.

Blaise frowned slightly before finally speaking. "So, Headmaster, how does a dhampir pick his Bride?"

Dumbledore sighed. "Well, it is very similar to that of a vampire. Both are cursed beings, cursed to live life and yet not totally live it."

Draco grumbled something in his seat.

Dumbledore ignored him. "The dhampirs, despite being technically alive and being immune to certain things like holy water and sunlight, have died in a very important sense. They feel nothing. They feel no joy, happiness, sadness, _arousal_."

Hermione's eyes widened. "That's why you asked me if he'd cum!" She then turned red when she realized what she'd said and clapped a hand over her mouth, face going red.

Ginny bite her bottom lip to keep from laughing.

Blaise smirked in dark amusement.

Draco looked terribly uncomfortable.

"Yes, Miss Granger, _that_ is why I was so surprised to hear your story." Dumbledore was glad for his beard, otherwise the teenagers would realize that he _too_ was blushing. "As I was saying, a dhampir, while alive, is still basically dead, emotionally at least, but that is changed when a vampire—or dhampir—is in the presence of his _Bride_. She makes his body com alive again."

"In other words, she gives him an instant boner." Blaise snickered.

Ginny couldn't hold it in any more and burst out laughing.

Draco and Hermione blushed darkly and refused to look in each other's direction.

Dumbledore couldn't help but smile slightly, since he was starting to see the amusing part of this whole conversation. "A dhampir, like a Veela, doesn't choose his Bride intentionally, but his _predator's instincts_ singles out his perfect match and he will stalk that person like prey until they've been bonded."

"Why do I suddenly feel like dinner?" Hermione grumbled in her seat.

"And here I thought women were all for being _eaten_." Blaise smirked at her, causing the brunette's eyes to widen and her blush to darken.

"Lay _off_." Draco growled, his eyes flickering gold and his incisors growing enough that they were visible as he spoke.

Dumbledore frowned at them. "Mister Malfoy, please control yourself."

Draco turned and _snapped_ his fangs at _him_.

The Headmaster raised an eyebrow at the boy who was allowing his dhampir instincts to take over when feeling threatened. _Severus will have to teach him self-control_.

"About living arrangements…" Ginny spoke up once more, obviously having decided to appoint herself her friend's spokeswoman. "I think that you should move them into close rooms, or Malfoy will go insane now that the bond has been sealed and she is _still_ far from him."

Dumbledore blinked. The young lady was well-informed.

"And I think so that there aren't any suspicions raised, that Zabini and I should be moved into the same place." The redhead announced. "We know the secret—can help them—and you can say that this is just an experiment in joining Gryffindor and Slytherin."

Dumbledore thought it over. It wasn't a bad idea, they'd have to do some adjustments to it, but it could be used. He nodded.

Ginny smiled and leaned back in the seat grabbing Hermione's hand again and squeezing it with a grin.

Hermione smiled thankfully at her friend.

Blaise and Draco sat silently.

Dumbledore sighed.

It was about to begin.

* * *

Just to let anyone know--Ginny and Hermione are ONLY friends. If I DO do the whole Ginny 'soulmate' thingy, then it'll be with someone else.


	7. Dumbledore's Solution

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of its characters.**

_Hey guys! I updated quicker this time than last, right? Well, this chapter should explain what happened to Harry in the last one. I really enjoyed writing Harry's section, I'd wanted to write something like that since watching the Order of the Phoenix, and being horribly surprised when I realized how much unexplored chemistry, understanding and acceptance I felt between Harry and a particular character…_

* * *

Harry winced as he opened his eyes, confused. Why was he in the Hospital Wing?

"Hello Harry." A cheerful voice announced to his right. "I hope you rested well."

Harry jerked and turned to see Luna Lovegood sitting on a chair next to the window, the light of the sun shinning in on her white-blonde hair, giving her the appearance of a halo. "Luna? What are you doing here? What am _I_ doing here?"

"You were laying down, snoring, it was really quite distracting." Luna pointed out with a serious expression on her face. "_I_ came here because this is the only place I can sneak a glance at them."

Harry frowned, reaching for his glasses on the bedside table and putting them on, frowning slightly at Luna as she proceeded to ignore him, preferring to look out of the window down at something, and giggling at whatever it was she was 'sneaking a glance' at.

The Boy Who Lived pushed the sheets off of him and got out of the bed, heading towards the girl who both confused and intrigued him. Most of the time everything that came out of Luna's mouth made no sense whatsoever, and yet sometimes, _sometimes_, Harry swore he understood her.

Now was _not_ one of those times.

Looking out of the window at the meadow by the lake, where Luna was looking and giggling, Harry frowned deeper and narrowed his eyes, unable to see anything but the grass in the meadow and the lake--which was peaceful for now.

There was _nothing_ out there that should have her laughing like she was.

"Uh, _Luna_, what are you looking at?"

"The Scandinavian Yennas of course. What _else_ would I be looking at from up here?" She looked at him with a raised eyebrow, as if there was something wrong with him, before shaking her head and returning to gaze to these _Yennas_, smile appearing once more. "They are rare, and hardly ever leave Scandinavia, but some are known to migrate every couple of hundred years when the leader of the clan dies."

"Oh?" Harry asked, feeling stupid because he was still looking down below, trying to catch a view of these _Yennas_. "What does the leader dying have to do with it?"

She shook her head with as sigh, yet didn't take her eyes from the window. "The virile young males all leave and journey to an unknown and previously un-visited place by the flock, and hold a sort of _competition_ to prove who the strongest and worthiest to assume leadership is."

"Why doesn't the whole flock journey together?" Harry asked, intrigued, as he usually was, with Luna's ramblings.

"The females would distract the males, _of course_."

Harry blinked, tearing his gaze from the meadow and turning it to Luna in surprise. That somehow made sense.

"The female of any species is the backbone of society, but they also have a way of becoming a distraction for the males, a distraction that might not only cost them their place at the head of the pack, but their lives--or even the safety of their family unit because the male is too wrapped up in the female to sense the approaching danger, such as a predator." Luna turned to look at him. "Another reason why the female is so important is because she is the one that keeps the family healthy and together. There have been cases in which a young female will 'adopt' a young orphaned male pup her age or a little younger, and help raise him."

Harry smiled at that.

"But of course, there _are_ dangers in that." Luna continued. "Each Yenna has a mate, and sometimes the feelings of familiar love between the adopted and the adoptee are mistaken for a deeper connection, and they will stick together, despite the fact that their _true_ mates have been with them the whole time."

Harry frowned, suddenly not liking where this was going for some unknown reason.

"It's especially hard for the adopted male pup, who has learnt to always have the female there with him, and he feels threatened when the true mate of the female appears, because his constant place in her life is being threatened." Luna paused, her gaze returning to the creatures only she could see. "Harry, while the female will always love the male she adopted as her family, and she would never want to hurt him--is known to actually resist the advances of her true mate in some cases in fear of hurting the other male, she will eventually pick her true mate because that's just how it's meant to be."

A chill ran up Harry's spine as she said that, though he didn't understand _why_.

"It's best for the adopted male to learn to accept his new role in her life, or he will end up challenging her mate and that will kill all love the female has for him." Luna frowned. "Harry, exile from a loved one is the most painful thing, but the male pups who accepted the new position they had once the female had accepted her true mate--they realized that they weren't discarded or cast aside--they discovered that they now had a larger _family_, and they were able to fully appreciate the bond of a family and connect with their _own_ partner." She took in a deep breath. "They just needed to learn to let go first."

Harry replayed her words in his mind continuously, as if it were on a loop, his gaze unseeingly on the meadows. Why did what Luna said touch a chord inside of him and affect him so? She was talking about creatures that didn't bloody exist!

Suddenly something shadowy shifted in the meadow, it was a faint glitch, a faint impression, but Harry saw it and narrowed his eyes, leaning closer to the window, hand on the back of Luna's chair.

What had that--?

Shadowy shapes seemed to fill the meadow in seconds, moving rapidly, and suddenly, only for a couple of seconds, something opened inside of Harry and he saw them completely materialized. In seconds they—even the shadowy figures they'd been moments ago—disappeared and the meadow seemed deserted, but those few second had been enough.

"Luna?" Harry blinked, eyes on the meadow. "These Scandinavian Yenna…do they look like small, purple dog-like creatures with wings?"

Luna froze, before turning to Harry, the surprised smile that crept onto her face _breathtaking_. "There may be hope for you yet, Harry Potter."

For some unknown reason, Harry smiled back at her, feeling lighter than he had for days.

* * *

"Weasley, when have I _ever_ given you the misconstrued idea that it was acceptable for you to come up to talk to me, much less in public?" Pansy Parkinson frowned not only because people were looking at them and whispering, but because he was so _damned tall_, so she, at barely five feet tall, was forced to tilt her head _upwards_ to be able to glare at him in his face.

"Harry's had a panic attack."

Okay, so _that_ was random enough to catch her attention.

Folding her arms over her chest, Pansy's frown turned confused as she raised an eyebrow in intrigue. "And why exactly would you assume that I'd give a damn?"

"He had it after he and I found Zabini and Malfoy using a _Silencing Bubble_ with 'Mione and my sister." Ron glared down at her as if this was all somehow _her_ fault.

Pansy blinked, expression going blank, grabbing onto his arm and pulling him down with surprising strength so that his ear was level with her mouth and no one else could hear them. "You and Potter caught Granger and Weaslette boinking Malfoy and _Zabini_?!"

"They're _shagging_?!" Ron turned puce, looking a perfect mixture of horror, anger, and sick at the stomach.

Pansy frowned, letting go of him and letting him straighten again. "Wait a second, if they weren't _shagging_, why the hell would it give Potter a panic attack?"

Ron straightened his crumpled robes. "Pansy, _think_! Silencing Bubbles are only used when something confidential is being said." So far, nothing he'd said was extraordinarily brilliant. "That in itself is suspicious, but Mione and Gin using it with _Malfoy and Zabini_?"

She raised her eyebrow at him. Sure, this was odd, but Malfoy and Granger had been acting odd for a while now, so she really found it Weasley's and Potter's problem that they hadn't noticed the difference in their so-called 'best mate'.

"Gryffindors don't share secrets with _Slytherins_!"

Pansy waited, silently, for Ron to realize that _he_ was a Gryffindor, _she_ a Slytherin, and that he was obviously coming and sharing a secret with her. If the way he was whispering everything furiously had anything to say with it, he didn't want anyone else to know about this, so he was either confronting her about something or he was confiding this to her.

And while Pansy couldn't see how he'd be able to blame _her_ for whatever it was Malfoy, Zabini, Granger and Weaslette were doing--she just couldn't wrap her mind around the possibility of him actually _confiding_ in her.

Why _would_ he?

"Weasley, whatever your bints are doing with our blokes, it's their bloody business." She was on the defensive, not liking the weird sensation that'd filled her at the thought of him confiding in her. She didn't need this! Not now! "If Potter can't keep his own bird satisfied, she's going to fly away and find another who _can_, and believe me, Malfoy _can_."

"That was uncalled for!" Ron frowned down darkly at her. "You're such a _bitch_."

And she smiled because _this_ she could handle, and could do so with practiced ease. "What was your _first_ clue, Weasley?" Flipping her black hair, Pansy turned and walked away from him, letting her concerned frown appear only when her back was to him.

What _were_ Granger and Weaslette doing with Malfoy and Zabini?

* * *

"I don't like this."

Blaise raised an eyebrow at his best friend as they flew their brooms above the Quidditch Field. When the meeting at the Headmaster's office had ended, Hermione and Weaslette had gone their way, and Draco and his theirs, and they'd somehow ended up in the air with their brooms, in silence.

Until now…

"There isn't much you _do_ like, Malfoy." He reminded the blonde. "So you'll have to be more specific."

"I don't like the thought that I'm putting my future happiness in the incapable hands of a bumbling old codger who believes _Harry Potter_ should be bloody _canonized_."

Blaise had to admit that that _did_ worry him a little, but he didn't say anything. Dumbledore might have been a grand wizard in his days, he _had_ defeated Grindelwald, but he was up in age and was _known_ for his…errr…_eccentricities_…

So maybe Draco had a _good_ reason to be worried.

"He was _once_ the savior of the Wizarding World…"

"Yeah?" Draco snorted. "Well, so was _Potter_, and don't get me _started_ on _him_!"

Blaise frowned, Draco was really making it hard to comfort him. "Listen, mate, you're stubborn as hell and I've never seen you give up on something once you've put your mind to it--not when you really want it."

Draco was silent, watching him in interest, obviously waiting to hear where this conversation was leading to.

"And like it or not, _admit_ it or not--you want Granger, you have for a _long_ time now." Blaise raised a hand to silence Draco when he would have denied that vehemently—blushing all the while. "I actually think that your attraction to her was due to the underlying Veela in you, and once it was awakened, well, you really can't hide it anymore--not that you were particularly clever at hiding it _before_."

Draco glared at him.

Blaise smirked back. "We Veelas, if we're destined, there's no getting around it. Granger will be yours, you're just going to have to work for it."

"Yes, well, Dumbledork said I was _technically_ a _dhampir_."

"Well, don't all of those ridiculous muggle books and movies show vampires with this amazing _sexual allure_?" Blaise asked. "If you're a _dhampir_ it means you've got to have _some_, so _use_ it to your advantage!"

"That's a sound, Slytherin plan." Draco paused. "But _when_ could I do it?"

Blaise sighed, shaking his head. "We're going to be living in close confines with Granger, Draco, I _think_ you'll have an ample amount of opportunities to do that."

"You're _right." _The blonde suddenly smirked and looked more like the Draco Malfoy Blaise knew. "I'm bloody _alluring_ even _without_ the dhampir attraction--Granger hasn't got a _chance _of resisting my charms!"

Blaise rolled his eyes and yet smirked. _This_ was the arrogant bastard of his best friend! Thank _Merlin_ he'd returned to normal!

* * *

"What am I going to tell _Harry_?"

Ginny turned to her friend and frowned in concern, knowing that this was going to be a big issue. After leaving Dumbledore's with his promise that everything was going to be all right, the redhead couldn't help but wish that they'd addressed this issue while with the old man—although she was more than sure that she knew what his answer would have been--as did Hermione, which was _why_ she hadn't asked it while in the Headmaster's office.

The girl was in deep, _deep_, denial.

"Hermione," Ginny took in a deep breath, steeling herself for what was to come. "As much as it pains me to say this, _Draco Malfoy_ is your mate, not _Harry_. You and _Malfoy_ are going to go _insane_ without each other if you continue stubborn like this, and call me silly, but I'd prefer for it not to reach that point." She took in _another _breath. "I think you're just going to have to sit Harry down and tell him, oh, I don't know, _the truth_?"

"You make it sound so _easy_!" Hermione announced with a pout. "_How_ can I go to Harry and tell him that despite the fact that he and I were _this_ close to becoming something _more_--I suddenly have a mate!?"

"Well, I wouldn't use those words, but basically, that's exactly what you have to tell him." Ginny announced sagely, like an old woman who'd lived through this sort of situation before. "Let him know that he'll always be important in your life, but you have a mate now and you have to concentrate all of your efforts on getting along with Malfoy and not _killing_ him."

Hermione wasn't arguing, so that was a good sign. She was obviously accepting this, being the sensible woman that she was.

"And don't worry, Dumbledore said that he'd take care of everything." Ginny smiled. "What could _possibly _go wrong?"

"Hey Ginny, Hermione!" Parvati breezed passed them with Lavender. "We just saw the posting. Congratulations on being picked for the Inter-Joining experiment!"

Ginny and Hermione exchanged looks before going to where the other students were congregating, reading a scroll that'd appeared in the middle of the hallway.

**THE WAR IS OVER AND YET THE BATTLE STILL RAGES ON IN HOGWARTS--THE BATTLE OF THE HOGWARTS HOUSES OF COURSE!** It began. **AND HEADMASTER DUMBLEDORE HAS COME UP WITH AN INNOVATIVE WAY TO STOP THIS ONCE AND FOR ALL. FOUR STUDENTS FROM EACH HOUSE HAVE BEEN SELECTED (TWO MALES AND TWO FEMALES) TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROGRAM--WHICH WILL ADD EXTRA POINTS TO EACH HOUSE!**

**IF YOUR NAME IS WRITTEN BELOW, PLEASE REPORT TO PROFESSOR DUMBLEDOR TONIGHT AFTER DINNER FOR FURTHER INFORMATION!**

**_Gryffindor:_**

Harry Potter

Ronald Weasley

Hermione Granger

Ginerva Weasley

_**Slytherin:**_

Draco Malfoy

Blaise Zabini

Pansy Parkinson

Millicent Bulstrode

**_Ravenclaw:_**

Steven Cornfoot

Kevin Entwhistle

Luna Lovegood

Isabel MacDougal

**_Hufflepuff:_**

Justin Finch-Fletchley

Ernie McMillan

Hannah Abbot

Susan Bones

"This wasn't what we were talking about when we suggested different living arrangments!" Hermione squeaked, looking pale as she reread the scroll once more, as if hoping she'd read it wrong the first time. "What in Merlin's name was the Headmaster _thinking_?!"

Ginny winced, turning to her friend apologetically. "I think I spoke too soon, huh?"

* * *

Hope you all enjoyed this and review!


	8. The Cabin

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of its characters.**

_Okay, I was completely blocked with this story, but with a chat with one of my closest friends and a faithful follower of my stories I got some inspiration to write another chapter for you guys! I love this story and I really don't wanna make it go into hiatus. I think Draco, Hermione and Blaise don't deserve that at all!_

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The groups of young people stood together as they looked at the two doors ahead of them.

Dumbledore smiled as he stood with his back between both ominous doors, his hat bright pink with yellow glitters and stars circling the material constantly. He seemed quite happy with his hands clasped behind his back as he looked at the young people standing in their travel clothes, with their suitcases and pets, some looking eager and others nervous.

"As you can see, there are two doors behind me." The Headmaster finally spoke. "You will be dividing into two groups, half of you will enter the door to my right, and the other will enter the next door. Once you reach there you will be directed as to where to go to next and what to do."

The old man enjoyed this. It'd been a long time since he'd been able to let his creative juices take control, and he was giddy to see how this would end up. "You will be staying in an isolated village in an undisclosed location, in which magic will not be allowed and you will have to depend on your own strength---and on your peers---to survive."

There were murmurs amongst the teenagers. The boys looked psyched, the girls nervous.

"Each group will have a teacher appointed over them as a chaperone and as a silent protector---he or she will be the only one who will be allowed to take his or her wand. But your protector will only use his or her magic if the situation is life or death." Dumbledore continued, patting himself on the back for having come up with this all by himself---and on such short notice!

He was killing two birds with one stone! Not only would he force unity between the houses---but he was helping young Mister Malfoy and Miss Granger.

"In Group 1, who shall go through Door 1, there is: Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley, Pansy Parkinson, Millicent Bulstrode, Justin Finch-Fletchy, Ernie McMillan, Luna Lovegood and Isabel MacDougal."

The youth mentioned looked at each other.

"Group 2, who shall go through Door 2, is made of: Hermione Granger, Ginerva Weasley, Draco Malfoy, Blaise Zabini, Hannah Abbot, Susan Bones, Steven Cornfoot and Kevin Entwhistle."

There was silence.

The old man smiled. "There will be more instructions on the other side. Now, children, be off. May Merlin be with you."

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Harry Potter led Group 1 through Door 1 and once they passed the threshold they found themselves no longer in the Room of Requirements but in a room of mirrors, where Professor McGonagall stood waiting for them with her stern expression on her face.

"Good, I see you have crossed over." She announced, looking them over. "Here you will split into two groups again."

The students murmured in surprise.

"In Group 1 will be known as Syrbotae." McGonagall announced. "Its leader will be Harry Potter, and will consist of Ronald Weasley, Pansy Parkinson and Luna Lovegood." She looked at the others. "Group 2 will be known as Panotti, and will have Ernie McMillan as leader."

Harry didn't know how to take this. When Dumbledore had said that they were going to be in an Inter-Joining crusade, he hadn't thought that they'd be broken into such small groups. How could they _join together_ if they were all so _far apart_?

And while he understood _why_ Dumbledore had separated each household, sending two of each into the first two groups, Harry really wished that Mione and Gin were with them now. How were they going to be able to take care of the girls if they wouldn't even know where they were?

"Syrbotae will enter through this mirror." Professor McGonagall pointed to the mirror mentioned. "And Panotti will go through _this_ one." She then folded her arms over her chest. "Do us proud."

That sounded like a threat.

Harry gulped as he led Syrbotae through their mirror.

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Draco Malfoy led the group through Door 2, and once everyone in their group was over the threshold, they found themselves in a dungeon, in which there were two jail-cells. Between the cells was Professor Lupin, who'd returned after the war to teach DADA again.

"Hello everyone." He smiled at them. "I hope you're all excited about this."

There were nods and soft 'yes sir's.

"Well, you will be divided into two groups." The werewolf announced with an easy smile. "Group 1, Mandin, will go into this cell---and it will consist of Hannah Abbot, Susan Bones, Steven Cornfoot and Kevin Entwhistle. Mister Cornfoot will be the leader of Mandin."

Steven grinned and puffed out his chest as he led his group into the cell, and once Remus closed the cell's door on them they disappeared.

Remus turned to Draco, Hermione, Blaise and Ginny. "Hello you four."

"Professor," Draco and Blaise nodded, looking uncomfortable.

Weaslette was for some reason looking at her shoes.

Only Hermione was smiling back at the older man. "Hello Remus."

Draco looked up and raised an eyebrow at the casual and familiar way she said their professor's first name. Then again, Hermione and Remus had worked should to shoulder during the war. It was obvious to all that the muggleborn and the werewolf were the smartest of the Order, and they'd been targeted for the same reason.

The Dark Lord had wanted them either corrupted or killed. Thankfully, his royal darkness hadn't had as competent minions as he'd believed.

"Well, the five of us know the real reason why we're here." Remus shoved his hands into his pockets, looking a little anxious but excited nonetheless. "These are incredible circumstances, and Dumbledore thought that I would be the best _chaperone_ for your group. Not only would I be able to understand Mr. Malfoy's sudden transformations, but I'd be able to help him deal with having change thrust unwontedly on him."

Draco paused as he heard this. He hadn't really thought about it that way, but now that Remus said it, it made sense. From what the Slytherin had been able to find out, some werewolf had attacked Remus when he was younger and the curse. He'd had the curse forced on him. So if there was anyone out there who could help Draco himself and understand him, it would be the very man who'd gone through something so very similar.

"So…" Blaise announced as he cleared his throat. "What do we do now?"

"Well, the plan is as follows." Now that he was once more in total control and in teacher mode, Remus Lupin lost all anxiety. "We will enter through this cell and the spell in it will transport us to a preselected location. It _will_ be isolated and a little bit rustic, but it's idealistic for our necessities. We will spend the time understanding the situation better, and helping Mister Malfoy and Hermione get accustomed to their situation and to each other."

"Okay, perfect." Draco nodded. "Let's get this over with."

Weaslette smiled at Remus, the freckles on her cheeks disappearing due to the red filling them. "I'm very glad that you're going to be our chaperone."

"So am I." Remus nodded with an absent-minded smile as he turned to pick up his luggage and lead them into the cell.

Weaslette's smile fell considerably at his dismissal, and hurt crossed her brown eyes, before she took in a deep breath and walked in after Hermione.

Draco raised an eyebrow as he noticed Remus answering some Blaise asked him, and saw Weaslette's gaze on the DADA teacher.

Did the Weaslette have a little school-girl crush on the oblivious werewolf?

Snickering at _that_ possibility, Draco stalked into the cell and closed the door behind them, and in seconds the cell was gone and they were standing in front of a large wood cabin in the middle of a forest.

"Wow! It's so _beautiful_!" Hermione whispered, her chocolate eyes wide, her smile _beautiful_ as she twirled around, taking everything in. "Remus! This place is so perfect!"

Draco smiled as he watched her. He'd never seen anything as beautiful as an awed Hermione. The sun bounced off of her dark curls, giving it an unearthly glow, and something in him was content as he watched her.

_Mine_.

"Dumbledore and I believed so as well." Remus nodded proudly. "As you will discover, your wands have disappeared. Do not worry, they are safe and if in need you will have them. But given the extreme and utterly unprecedented situation it was decided that it would be safer to use as little magic as possible."

"Sounds like a smart idea." Weaslette chirped.

"Thank you, Miss Weasley." Remus nodded with a smile that made him look a little younger. "I will be needing your help throughout this mission. You have vital knowledge about Veelas thanks to your association with Mrs. Delacour-Weasley, and that is an area that I'm afraid I have very little information."

"I would be happy to be yours—your helper!" Weaslette was suddenly that famous Weasley puce, but the professor seemed quite oblivious to the slip up as he nodded absentmindedly and pointed to the house, talking about how they'd decided on it.

"I've never been without my wand _ever_." Blaise muttered softly as he looked around him with a look of slight discomfort. "It kinda feels like I'm missing a part of me. Or that I'm naked."

Draco wouldn't admit it out loud, because it would _never_ do for a Malfoy to admit any sort of discomfort or vulnerability, but he felt the very same way.

Hermione smiled at Blaise, placing her hand on his shoulder in a comforting gesture. "You'll get used to it in a little bit. And anyway, think of this as a learning experience. Now that you don't have a wand and magic to do everything for you, you'll be able to do things the muggle way. You told me once that our ways intrigued you, remember that. Now's your opportunity to do so, and I'll be happy to teach you anything you want to learn."

The dark skinned Slytherin smirked at the chocolate-eyed Gryffindor, the expression on his face betraying the fact that he was dying to say something lecherous that'd have her blushing scarlet, but for some reason he was keeping it silent.

And Hermione was smiling softly at Blaise, as if realizing what he was doing and rewarding him.

_Mine_. That thing inside Draco growled, and he had to look away, eyes closing rapidly and tightly. _MINE!_

Hermione _never_ looked at _him_ like that!

Draco felt his body going taut and he somehow managed to turn his back on the group before they could realize that his skin was rippling slightly. Merlin, he _hated_ this feeling! He _hated_ that it was his best friend---his _only_ friend that was making him feel this way! Sure, Draco had a major problem with Weaselbee and Pothead in general, especially Pothead, but he didn't feel so _threatened_ with Pothead as he did with Blaise.

Something inside of him viewed Blaise as a bigger rival than it did Hermione's Saint Potter, and Draco didn't like it. He had to get himself under control, get the _beast_ under control, before he did something like kill the only friend he'd ever had while under this bloodlust he felt every time Hermione and Blaise were together.

And it wasn't only insecurity of a rival male he felt when they were together. No. Hermione and Blaise connected in a way Draco and her didn't (not that they connected in any way at the moment) and Draco had a feeling he and her would never connect in that way either. Hermione and Blaise were academic, they enjoyed reading and studying and learning the mysteries of magic and the universe, and while Draco enjoyed a good book he much preferred to be outside, on top of his broom…and Hermione was terrified of heights.

"Your ability to control yourself and the desires of the beast within is impressive, Mister Malfoy."

Turning at the sound of his professor's voice, Draco was surprised to find that they were the only ones still outside.

"I sent them inside to look around before they could realize what was going on." The werewolf explained in a laidback way, watching him with interest. "Is this the first time that your beast has reacted like this to the presence of Mister Zabini?"

Draco stilled in surprise. The older man was more observant than he'd given him credit for. "No. It's happened before."

"Hmmmm." Brown eyes went to the cabin. "And why do you suppose that is?"

Draco went silent, gray eyes going to the cabin as well as he heard the sound of Hermione's laughter. It was soft and clear, and he loved the sound…and also hated it. He wasn't some love-besotted fool, he was a _Malfoy_! He was of one of the most pure bloodlines! He could trace his family to Merlin himself! If there should be anyone in awe and utterly infatuated it should be _Hermione_, and yet she was only going along with this because they were already mates and she couldn't get rid of him now.

_Well, she COULD if she used SUGGESTION on me…but she'll never know she has that power over me._

If she did, she'd _suggest_ he take a hike or jump over the nearest cliff…and Draco wasn't prepared to leave or die right now.

Which brought him to his original point. He should be _happy_ at the thought of her suggesting him not to love her anymore and leave forever, and yet the thought filled him with a nauseating fear that he was more than sure the Veela in him had everything to do with. Instead of using his right as Mate and Malfoy, instead of just telling her to get over things and accept her place in his life, he wanted her to _want_ to be his mate.

Since when had he apparently forgotten to care that his mate was a mudblood? She was everything he'd been brought up to hate. She wasn't even the most gorgeous girl in the school---which could have helped somehow soften the blow to the Malfoy name when it was made public that the Malfoy heir had married a mudblood---and yet the only thing that worried Draco was her sending him away, her not learning to care for him.

And it _infuriated _him!

Why should he _care_ if she learnt to care for him or not?

She was his mate! She was a poor, bush-haired mudblood. She should be _honored_ to be his mate and he should be telling her just that!

And yet he wasn't…and he wasn't going to.

And that revelation didn't really help his mood in the least bit.

Realizing that his professor had been silent for a suspicious amount of time, gray eyes shifted to Remus in time to catch the thoughtful expression on the werewolf's face as he looked towards the cabin.

"What exactly did the Headmaster tell you about your condition?"

It was only because Remus had a similar 'condition' that Draco didn't take offense. "Nothing much. Just that I'm a dhampir, although my Veela has been activated as well, and that Hermione is my mate." The blonde paused, running fingers through his silky hair. "Apparently both sides of me chose her because they found her to be my perfect match, and now I can't bloody want another bird ever again."

Remus nodded for him to continue.

Draco steeled him. "But Hermione _can_. Dumble—the Headmaster—said that she might have another mate, or soulmate, or pet or whatever the bleedin' hell he or she would be called."

"Hmmm."

He _hated_ that sound.

"Are you prepared for the possibility that it might be Mister Zabini?"

Draco snorted, sneering a little at the older man. "You go straight for the point, don't you professor?"

"There's no advantage to beating around the bush, and call me Remus." The werewolf commanded. "We will be working in close quarters and I think it's best if you and I learn to be more comfortable around each other."

"Ok." Draco nodded, face not betraying any emotion. Inside, though, he was a little intrigued. He'd always found the werewolf to be one of their most interesting professors, but since Remus had allied himself with Potter Draco had refused to be friendly with someone who was friends with Saint Potter, Patron Saint of the Forever Annoying.

"Are you?"

The younger man knew what Remus was asking, and yet he hesitated. "She's _mine_."

"You're not." Remus sighed, shaking his head. "You and I will have much to talk about, Draco."

It was so _odd_ to hear the werewolf say his name.

Folding his arms over his chest, Draco looked ahead of him, at the cabin, in time to see Weaslette squealing and running out of the cabin, Hermione on her tail in hot pursuit, looking a little annoyed and yet utterly amused at the same time as Weaslette waved an odd contraption over her head tauntingly.

Obviously the redhead had taken some muggle thing of Hermione's and his mate was trying to get it back.

"Dray!" Blaise could be heard calling from inside. "You've got to come and see this!"

"Go on." Remus nodded.

Taking in a deep breath, Draco walked towards the cabin, wondering what had Blaise in such a tizzy.

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"What the bloody hell?"

"My thoughts exactly." Blaise announced as both boys stood over the odd contraption in the bathroom. It looked like a toilet and everything, but there was a lever on it that one had to push to get the water to flush---didn't muggles have toilets that flushed themselves with flower-scented water?---and there was another button on this odd muggle toilet that made water _spring up_ at whoever would be sitting on it.

It was…odd and a little intimidating.

Also, what was this roll of paper next to the toilet? What was it for?

Shaking their heads, the slytherins went to the sink and found out that that was the same as wizarding, except that you had to turn knobs to get the water to come out. It was the shower that proved to be the greatest difficulty. They couldn't figure out the water system and ended up making the water either scalding hot (Blaise) or freezing cold (Draco).

"How do muggles _live_ this way?" Blaise asked with a wince as he shook the hand he'd burnt slightly while testing the water. "We're going to have to ask Granger to explain this to us after we settle in. I'm not going to go around dirty _nor_ burnt to death either."

Draco made a face, not liking the thought of being dirty (a Malfoy was _never_ dirty), nor the thought of having to bathe in the freezing water, and yet he was a little more proud than his friend. "I think we can manage to figure this out on our own."

"And _I_ think its safe to say that Granger already knows that we haven't a clue as how to use muggle things or live like they do." Blaise folded his arms over his chest. "It won't hurt to talk to her and let her give us some help."

Draco snorted. "It won't hurt anything other than our pride, you mean."

Blaise suddenly grinned. "Malfoys and their pride." His grin grew. "Zabini's prefer cleanliness over pride _any_ day." Seeing the look on his friend's face when he thought about being dirty, Blaise laughed and shook his head. "C'mon, _I'll_ ask and pretend I'm the only one who doesn't know."

Draco seemed to think it over before smirking and nodding, obviously agreeing with this plan.

Sighing and shaking his head, Blaise grinned as they walked out of the bathroom in search of Hermione, both knowing that this was going to be an interesting couple of weeks.

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**I updated! Miracles DO happen!**


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